


from diamonds of feathers

by layerto



Category: Super Dangan Ronpa 2
Genre: M/M, fairytale AU
Language: English
Status: In-Progress
Published: 2014-08-28
Updated: 2015-05-24
Packaged: 2018-02-15 03:16:05
Rating: Teen And Up Audiences
Warnings: Creator Chose Not To Use Archive Warnings
Chapters: 8
Words: 36,304
Publisher: archiveofourown.org
Story URL: https://archiveofourown.org/works/2213730
Author URL: https://archiveofourown.org/users/layerto/pseuds/layerto
Summary: <blockquote class="userstuff">
              <p>As the prince of Kibougamine, Hinata Hajime has no interest in marriage, and would rather not be forced into a relationship due to his status.<br/>His life meets great changes upon meeting a beautiful swan during a hunt, to find that it was a human in disguise, cursed by a witch whom he knows no name of. Hinata is entranced by the boy's appearance, finding himself becoming closer to the boy day by day. Determined to break the curse, Hinata makes an attempt with the only hint:</p><p>"The curse will only be broken when we connect, our love proven true."</p>
            </blockquote>





	1. Prologue

**Author's Note:**

> After penpea's amazing The Weeping Wisteria, I got kicked back into Fantasy-like AUs, but I actually don't have too much motivation for my past one that I started. I did work on it, but it didn't go off too well, so hopefully that will be okay.
> 
> Otherwise, who's ready for some Swan Lake? I am. I'll try to even get artwork into this.

"What do you mean?"

Gaping, Hinata Hajime eyes his parents with confusion swirling muddily inside his stomach. _No, they have to be lying._  
Born a prince, you would expect the child to be spoiled upon and have everything he requires with a wave of a hand, a reach to the coffee table beside their bed. But _no,_ despite the luxuries, the prince of Kibougamine - Hinata Hajime - despised his role in this world. To be born with luxuries at his hands and feet at the moment of birth, the thought _disgusted_ him to the point that it made him sick. What about the people who weren't born the same way? Did they suffer, cry and stangle out words and prayers, in hopes that, perhaps, one day God himself would offer a man riches and food to feed his family for life? There was no such thing - that was what Hinata Hajime believed in.

_To take the path you work for is the definite road to success._

However, his beliefs were shut down immediately - no, perhaps, they were never given a single chance. The beliefs he'd instilled from his moment of birth were never going to be accepted by his parents. His lifestyle, his job, his hobbies, everything - all of that was to the decision of his parents.  
And he detested them for it.

"Hajime, as you know, your eighteenth birthday will arrive soon. You are becoming a man, and you must find a woman that will suit to your needs." Hinata exhales with a smirk. "You mean, your needs, right-"

"Hajime-kun."

His mother, the queen, interjects with a frown, her furrowed brows further defining the wrinkles spread across her face. Age really was catching up with his parents. "Yes, yes. Please continue, father."  
The king nods, looking to Hinata with similar honey-dipped eyes, serious. "You will find a woman to marry. We have already sent invitations across the kingdom to other noblemen and women to attend our Midsummer Ball." Hinata nods, understandingly. "So, basically, you want me to find a girl there that I like."

His parents are silent.  
 _Well, that means it's a yes._

"That's great, I'll attend-" Hinata turns his back and starts walking towards the castle's entrance, "-but first, I'm going to head out for a bit." Before his parents can say anything against his will, Hinata quickly finds his escape, leaving the castle grounds in silence. Guards at the entrance eye him suspiciously, knowing that, yes, Hinata may be up to no good, but it seemed as if they would let this one slide, at least for once. The past few weeks, Hinata had been sucking up to his parents as he could, just so he could make a better impression and maybe find it easier to make more time for himself.  
One of the things he enjoyed to do was go hunting with his friends in the local forest. It was usually calm, but because of that, they would all get giddy over a single successful catch. Today, was just another one of those hunting days.

"Hey, Hinata!"

A boy running to Hinata with hair brighter than the fabrics that donned his mother's dresses called out to him, waving in the distance as he pulled along another with short, blonde hair and a surprisingly cute face that did not fit his not-so-cute personality.  
"Dude, sorry we're late. I went to Kuzuryuu's place to drag him here. He's really slow, you know-"

"Shut the fuck up."

The bright-haired teen laughs boistrously. Souda Kazuichi, was a bright boy (with bright hair) who sometimes impulsively jumps into bad situations, but had a good sense for mechanics. Due to his family's mechanical expertise, they had a connection with the royal family and were able to work with the guards for military and other castle equipment. Foul-mouthed but cute, Kuzuryuu Fuyuhiko also had some influence within the royal family, as he came from a larger mafia-running family. The royal family was able to find companionship with the Kuzuryuu group, which did great deeds for informants and their offensive forces. These two, however, put simply, Hinata's friends. He couldn't have many, stuck in the castle, but at the least there were some boys his age that could at least sympathize with him.  
"Alright, I've got the stuff, so let's get goin'," Souda urges, a smile plastered on his face. Hinata and Kuzuryuu proceeded to follow the boy to the stables, hitching onto their horses and riding off, out of town. The presence of greenery signaled their leaving of civilization, and they looked to their sides as all they could being to see was grass, trees, and wildlife. The serene aura surrounding them was pleasant, spreading a feeling of peace throughout Hinata's body. For once, it felt as if he was free from those responsibilities soon to be held - this was his only escape from all of that.  
The boys stepped off from their horses, Souda reaching into his bag and giving them wooden bows and arrows. "Souda, I want to go further in on my own. Is that alright?", Hinata asked, filling his satchel with arrows. The boys giving him their agreement, Hinata left on foot, walking through the forest. Tall trees towered over his head, at least triple his own height - the leaves donned upon the tree braches protected him from the harsh summer sun beating down on the earth, and Hinata was glad for the generous amount of shade it provided.

Guiding himself on a thin path leading through the forest, he eventually was met with a river and hopped across stones, glistening under the sun. Almost slipping into the river, he quickly fell onto the grass on the opposite side with a sigh, glad that he didn't get himself soaked again. Continuing on a forest path decorated with small white flower buds, he found himself standing in front of a large stone rock in his way. "I guess I'm here," he told himself, walking around the large rock to meet with an opening, heading inside, darkness consuming the small cave. Passing through overgrown vines, Hinata leaves the cave, stepping out into soft, green grass surrounding a large pond that lay under weeping trees.  
This was what he called his little 'resting spot', and sometimes he would bring his friends along. Whenever he was tired, he'd visit this spot everytime just to relax by the edge of the water.

Hinata, however, noticed something different about the area today.

A white swan glided slowly across the water's surface, bathing in the rich sunlight. Approaching slowly, Hinata was about to reach for his bow, but was stopped in his tracks. There was something... just so beautiful and _serene_ about the entire situation. There was no way he was going to shoot the swan.  
He kept his bow by his side and slowly inched towards the water to quietly take a seat, but the swan noticed him soon enough, its head craning in his direction in shock, wings flapping. "W-wait, I don't want to hurt you-" Hinata dropped his satchel and the bow on the ground, hands in the air. He wasn't sure if the swan would understand or not, but it was worth a shot. "-I just want to sit here, that's all."

Somehow, as if it'd understood what he said, the swan's wings retracted and it went back to relaxing in the water, but this time approaching the boy slowly. Getting as close as he could to the water's edge, Hinata watched as the swan approached, closer and closer, eyeing its white plummage, appearing softer and much more beautiful than he'd seen versus all of the birds he'd met with in his entire life. The swan rested close to him, and he lifted a hand up to the swan. "Is it okay?"  
The swan's head lowered, and carefully, Hinata reached to the swan, his fingers running through soft plummage.  
He continued for a few minutes, surprised that the swan didn't mind, but feeling as if it was rude, he decided to stop and laid down in the grass, the swan still wading in the pond. _At least it doesn't hate me,_ he thought, smiling to himself.

His eyelids felt heavy, and he drifted to sleep, feeling like he was floating into a deep sleep. Between the scent of nature, wrapped in a gentle summer breeze, it was so enticing to stay asleep. It was a dreamless nap, and his body snapped awake to a voice that rung in his ears.

 

_Help me._

 

Raspy and breathless, it rung in his ears, his eyes fluttering open. The sky was dyed a blushing maiden, the air surrounding him surprisingly cooler. Shit, I didn't mean to sleep for that long. Hinata sits up, and the moment he does, he sees that the swan is gone - of course, it would be.

_No, wait._

It was still there, but on the other side of the pond, hiding behind a rock, but its feathers were peeking at him. _That's kind of weird,_ he thought, _I thought it would've left by now. Maybe it doesn't have a family?_  
Hinata moved slowly to the swan, but was stopped in his tracks.

The swan moved out, slowly from behind the rocks, spreading its wings, a white light surrounding the bird. Hinata sat and stared. It was glowing. The bird was glowing. It shimmered and sparkled, and the light only grew so much bigger, releasing into particles of light as something else appeared from the light-

A person.

A tall, lanky person emerged from the light, floating, white hair tossled as it followed behind them. A pair of gray eyes fluttered open and widened as they found themselves fixated on Hinata's figure, a face of surprise and fear written upon their expression. Donned in a white suit embellished with diamonds and shimmering feathers, it started to become apparent to Hinata that they were a boy, maybe even a prince with that get-up - despite the feminine features in his face.  
Hinata rushed up, jumping into the shallow pond with no care that his clothing would get soaked, arms outstretched. The boy fell into his arms, his hands upon Hinata's shoulders as he slowly floated down, and Hinata thought - _hey, he's actually really light-_

 _Splash!_  
Instantly being pushed down by the boy's weight, the water envelopped him and found its way into his mouth. Getting up, he immediately spit it out, disgusted. "Gah- that doesn't taste good," he spat, wiping his mouth.

"You- you weren't supposed to see that. You were asleep," the boy speaks, his voice hoarse, yet angelic in a manner. Hinata looks to him, the boy who wore a frightened expression, almost appearing like he was crying. "I... I have to go." He stands up quickly, as Hinata grabs for his wrist, confused, questions running in his head. There was no way he was leaving after what he'd just saw!  
"Wait," Hinata beckons, and the boy looks back to him, eyebrows slanted. "Please, just let me go."

"Not until you tell me what happened."

"I can't."

Hinata grits his teeth. "'I can't' my ass. There's no way you're just going to run after what I just s-"

A pair of lips meets his, and he finally notices that the boy is kissing him, and rather forcefully as well, his lips roughly pressuring down onto his. Left in shock, the boy stands, pulling himself out of the pond as Hinata tries to process everything that had happened so far. A swan turned into a person, some guy or whatever, and he just kissed him. "I don't intend on meeting you again," he calls out as he disappears into the foilage, sprinting away from Hinata.  
Giving up, Hinata gets up, his fingers running across his lips. _He just kissed me._  
His face flushed, highly embarassed that his first kiss had been taken from some _birdman._ This was not something he could just tell his parents. Not his friends, even. _Nobody._

But maybe, he was still entranced by how _beautiful_ he was. It was hard for him to admit it, but his heart started to race when he saw him. _Was this what they called love at first sight?_  
Hinata shook his head, his cheeks still warm. _I'm not interested, and even less in some guy I don't know._

He walks home, just a little bit more heavy-hearted, curious about who that boy was and why a swan turned into him.  
But there was something else that left a little more impact on him.

_He was beautiful._

 


	2. Chapter 2

It's a silent night in his chambers, finding himself resting on his bed, eyes focused on the moon peeking through his bedroom windows. Not much had been on Hinata's mind for the day except for that one boy that seemed to have already stolen his heart from him - just thinking about him would make Hinata feel a little nervous, his heart racing. It was how captivated he was when his eyes set upon the boy, although he couldn't explain to anyone or himself as to why he felt that way. "Geez..." Rolling over to his side, his eyes stayed fixated on the full moon, glowing amidst an empty night sky. _There's not too many stars,_ he thinks to himself, somewhat disappointed.  
 _Hopefully they'll come out another night._

With those thoughts lingering in his mind, Hinata drifts off into deep sleep.

 

* * *

 

  
Dresses sway, frills waving and darting across your eyes, expressions of love and joy spread throughout your vision. _Yes, this is beautiful,_ you think to yourself, _hopeful, even._  
Despite denying majority of the women who come to your dwelling, watching the hope in everyone's hearts grow in front of you fills you with this unknown _feeling_ \- something that was beginning to sprout into something even greater. _Ah, yes... this is perfect._

"Excuse me, your Majesty?"

You turn your head to see a woman donning a black and white mask, adorned with sequins and tiny jewels. "Yes, my Lady? Would you like a dance?" Surprisingly, she shakes her head, her hair flowing with the motion. "I have a question to ask, is that fine?" With a nod, you look at her questioningly. _What could there be to ask?_  
But other than that, there was something about her. Sure, she was most likely beautiful under that mask, and you're slightly compelled to see what it looks like under it, but there's something wrong with how you feel around her. Her aura, or her presence, to be exact, felt unnerving. Despite her charming appearance, this woman didn't seem like a good person, to say - maybe even _dangerous._

"Do you have anything you wish for?" Her lips curve into a curious smile. "Anything at all."

Hm.  
You ponder over the thought for a few moments, tapping your finger to your chin as you consider many things. Of course, you already have many privileges, such as necessities, a place to live, and a large number of women fawning over you on the side. Which you didn't need, of course, but it's nice to have the company sometimes... though, you don't really deserve it. _There are much better people for them to idolize and fall for. Why me?_

"I guess that would be..."

 

* * *

 

  
Awakening to the sounds of birds chirping and the sunlight beckoning him to wake up, peeking through the windows, Hinata steps out of his garish bed, wiping his eyes and yawning noisily. Thinking about things such as having to attend the ball and visit other kingdoms, it made him feel queasy and just... _bored._  
But, there was something that he remembered that made him feel much better - and it convinced him to go back to the pond from yesterday. _Maybe if that guy's an actual idiot, he'll return,_ Hinata snickers, pulling on his clothing, dyed a velvet green.

Luckily, his parents had waved him off and decided to let him have his day. Surprisingly, sucking up worked - or maybe there wasn't much work to do at all? Whatever it happened to be, it didn't matter too much to Hinata.  
Slipping into a pair of leather boots, he took off towards the forest from the stables, but as he rode, something felt weird. His head was ringing, and something was stinging inside of there. Bringing a hand to his head, he headed to the pond-

_But why?_

Bringing the horse to a stop, it whinnied, and he hopped off the ride, back at the large stone entrance that led to that spot. _Why am I heading here?_ Shaking his head, Hinata knew that maybe, he'd be able to remember soon, entering the small cave.  
But the question swirled in his mind. He swore he remembered a few moments ago and this morning - _was he just becoming more forgetful?_

_Wait._

"Magic?", he mumbles to himself, eyes widened as he stands in front of a curtain of vines, leading into the small space. It has to be, he told himself, trying to recall yesterday's events, but it was starting to fade away into nothing, just a blurry mess that didn't make sense.  
Arranging his thoughts into order - going out hunting, leaving Souda, going to pond, swan...

_...ah._

_That's right. If I just piece it together..._

Slowly, tiny piece by piece, the memory came back to him, even if faintly.

  
"You... you weren't supposed to see that."

  
That boy.  
Clothed in the attire of a prince, a white suit embellished with feathers. Diamonds that shone and sparkled, gray eyes that showed him the colour of the universe, gleaming with hope and innocence, those eyes hidden behind layers and strands of white, cloud-like hair that followed him in smooth motion.

In the pond lay a swan, its eyes closed, sleeping peacefully.  
 _He really is an idiot._

Slipping into the shadows quietly, Hinata decided to fall into light sleep, hoping that he would be able to see him transfrom from swan to human. There was guarantee - perhaps he was going crazy, but now that he remembered, he wouldn't lose any chances. He'd hear from the boy's mouth himself, why he was shapeshifting and-  
 _The boy's mouth,_ Hinata repeated, his face flushing. Right. He kissed me.

Now that the memories were flooding back, it was almost as if he was reliving them. He could remember the feel, the taste those lips beared, a soft pair of lips touching his, bittersweet like a fruity wine- yet so powerful that it was indescribable.  
Letting the memories reenter his mind, Hinata fell into a light nap, waiting for the time the swan would turn into human once more.

  
"Did you see anything?"

A voice calls to Hinata, and he groans in response. "Or are you asleep?" Half-asleep, Hinata's just about to wake up, his eyes fluttering open-

"Mmgh-"

The taste of bittersweet wine touches his lips, soft and enticing, and Hinata can feel himself melt into the kiss, eyes half-lidded as he takes ahold of the boy's shoulders and accepts the kiss, leaning forward to use his tongue when-

"Mn- I'm not trying to kiss you!", the boy yells, pushing Hinata away as he wipes his mouth with his sleeve. "What do you mean, _not trying to kiss me?_ You're clearly trying to kiss me. At least I accepted it."

"That's not what I mean."

"Oh, yeah? Then come and kiss me for all I care."

"...well, the more the better," the boy comments, smiling as he inclines towards Hinata, cupping his hand on his jaw, his lips pecking the other's. Pulling away, he stops, but Hinata leans back at him, restarting the kiss once more, a sensation of something sparking inside him as his lips connected to the other's, and he doesn't want to pull away - there was something that told him _not to._  
But in defiance, the boy pushes Hinata away again, flushed. "You're not supposed to be so into it," he mumbles, hiding his face with his hands.

Hinata grumbles, brows furrowed. If he liked him that much, he could at least tell him. "Look here, _swan boy._ The first time you kissed me, it's giving me an 'it's okay to come after me', alright? You can't blame me for misunderstanding, you're the one who did the kissing yesterday."

"Yesterday? You haven't forgotten?"

"What do you mean-"

Then it all clicks in his mind. The suspicion of magic, his fuzzy memories, _that kiss -_

"You were trying to make me forget."

The boy nods, solemnly. "Well, look-", Hinata starts, seeing the boy look up to him, "it doesn't look like I'm forgetting anything anytime soon, so you may as well give up on that now." Nodding, the boy holds out his hand to Hinata, smiling just a little bit. "My name is Komaeda Nagito."

"Hinata Hajime." He shakes his hand, but Komaeda doesn't shake back - instead, he looks to Hinata in shock. "You're the prince?" Hinata nods to him, shrugging. It wasn't as if it was that big of a deal. Well, except for the fact that his parents were telling him to find a girlfriend, but he was out making out with some swan boy who chilled in a pond or whatever. "Why do you ask?"  
Komaeda lowers his head. "Um... I'm a little surprised, but I somewhat idolize you," he mumbles, the blush rising to his cheeks once more, evidently. "Komaeda, do you mind talking about yourself?"

"Huh?"

"You know. You being a swan."

"Ah..." His face is stricken with worry. "You can't tell anyone, though. But, I think I can trust you, Hinata-kun... ah, it's okay if I call you Hinata-kun, right?" Hinata nods, then hums in question. "Why trust me?" With a quiet chuckle, Komaeda smiles to him, "Because you're a prince."  
Hinata nearly chokes because he didn't expect the answer, and Komaeda pats the prince's back, whispering 'are you okay' to him. After a minute, Komaeda sighs, and inhales, getting himself ready to explain.  
"This might sound weird, but... it's the curse of a witch. During the day, I'm trapped in the body of a swan, but by the time sunset comes around, I turn back. By dawn, I'm a swan once more," he summarizes, his eyes wandering around somewhat cutely as he explains, avoiding looking straight at Hinata.

"Then, do you know who this witch is?"

"Of course not," Komaeda retorts, his hands balled into fists. "If I had known, I would've reported her immediately. However, if I simply report this, she will find out before the royal forces can lay a hand on her. That would be dangerous for any kingdom, and myself included." Komaeda looks to the grass, running his fingers through the blades glumly. "Is there another way to reverse the curse?", Hinata asks, and Komaeda nods.  
"Well, why don't you say so," Hinata comments, but Komaeda frowns. _"The curse will only be broken when we connect, our love proven true."_ Confused, Hinata hums, trying to decipher the hint. "So you're saying... that someone has to proclaim their love to you to lift the curse?" He sees Komaeda shrug, and the fact that he didn't know much about his own curse threw him off. "I know just as much as you do, Hinata-kun."

Hinata nods in understanding. "I love you, Komaeda."

"Huh?" Blushing, Komaeda's unsure of what to say to that, covering his mouth. "That's... quite an audacious statement, Hinata-kun..."  
Hinata rolls his eyes, noticing that Komaeda wasn't catching on with what he was trying to do. "I proclaimed my love for you, but it doesn't look like it's working," Hinata explains, and Komaeda blushes once more, mostly because he misunderstood him. "Ah... but thank you for trying, Hinata-kun. I'm glad you're trying to help, but... there's no point to, really. Nobody would really want to help a swan turn back to normal."  
Blinking, once, twice, and just one more time, Hinata then stares at Komaeda with a look that read 'really'.

"Then, I'll break this curse."

"Hinata-kun... you do know that this means you have to fall in love with me, right? It can't be fake -"

"I know."

His answer throws Komaeda off track, and the boy blushes, looking to the ground, smiling. "I-I'm embarassed, but happy. Thank you, Hinata-kun."

"I'll break the curse, just watch me."

Komaeda smiles at him, but his eyes widen in surprise, as if he had just remembered something. "I forgot to take the magic off of you, otherwise you'll keep losing your memories," Komaeda says, and Hinata laughs, remembering that Komaeda made out with him specifically to make him forget their meeting. "Well, are you going to kiss me again to make me remember?"

"Haha, that's funny..."

"...ah, but yes, I will."

Komaeda leans towards him, letting his lips sink into Hinata's, his hands on his broad shoulders, slowly sharing their kiss with a smile, a warm feeling growing inside of their chests, like the wings of a swan extending out from their hearts.  
 _If this is who I will fall in love with, then that's fine with me,_ was the thoughts they both had at that moment.

  
Hinata doesn't learn until later that kissing was unnecessary to nullifying the spell.


	3. Chapter 3

"One, two, step! One, two, step!"

The rhythmic yelling kept Hinata on his toes, as he stepped forward and to the side, stepping particularily off-time with the woman's instructions. "Your Majesty, your timing is all wrong! From the start once more!" Groaning, Hinata stood straight, grasping onto the woman, who then retorted, "Your grip is too tight!"  
Her yells shot Hinata awake, and he huffed, furrowing his brows. "Of course, Saionji."

"Saionji _-san._ "

"Saionji-san."

Saionji Hiyoko was hired to sharpen up Hinata's skills in ballroom dancing, as requested by his father - or more so, teach him how to dance at all. She was strict, but insanely good at dancing. If he could at least pull himself together and let her dance somewhat freely without having to get stopped by his hesitations, he might be to see her dance beautifully more.  
Their lesson continues until the late afternoon - Hinata glances to the large windows along the wall, the sky beaming a soft pink. "Your Majesty, we will continue this lesson the next day," she begins, "but please practice on your own."  
Barely giving Hinata a moment of her time, she runs her fingers through her hair as she walks out the door, leaving him behind as he chuckles. _Honestly, the same as ever._

They'd known each other previously - every year, she had to come back to reteach him ballroom dancing, and the fact that he kept forgetting how was probably getting on her nerves. Though, he had to admit, he thought that maybe she was having a bit of fun - every now and then, she would smile when he made a mistake.  
Then, she'd scowl and lecture him on his mistakes.  
Nevertheless, she was still a good person - and Hinata felt blessed that he knew so many good people.

Hinata smiles as he leaves the room -  
 _I have to go see him._

  
"Hah..."

Exhaling quietly, Komaeda breathes slowly with a smile as he sits only centimetres apart from Hinata's lips. "It's too bad kissing doesn't break the curse," he jokes with a smile, bouncing backwards onto the grass, his bottom meeting the ground. Hinata smiles back - his heart racing, he realizes that he'd just spent so long talking, kissing, and getting to know Komaeda more and more - and that made him feel... odd, inside. Not in a bad way, necessarily, maybe a little fluttery, lighthearted, perhaps the heart of a maiden in love is what it could be called. _Er,_ man in love.  
"Is it really okay for you to continue to meet me here, Hinata-kun?", Komaeda asks, curling into a ball, looking to him with a smile. "I would guess that you have duties to attend to."  
Hinata nods, mumbling a 'yeah', listening to his voice trail away as he thought about anything that he had to do. His father had already sent messengers to the neighbouring kingdoms to alert them of the Midsummer Ball, but otherwise, it seemed like the servants were more busy than he was, rushing to create clothing, the menu, decorations... and he had to applaud them for that, actually. If his parents let him give a speech during the ball, he would definitely thank them for their efforts, unlike his parents with their cunning speeches. _They need to give others more recognition,_ he drones, but shakes himself back to reality, shaking his head. "There isn't much to do at the moment... well, I have to learn how to dance, again," he laughs, as he sees Komaeda's eyes light up.

"Do you need help dancing?"

"Huh?"  
Hinata blinks, scratching his head. Was Komaeda a dancer? "They'd going to hire someone, but I do need practice..."  
His response must've lit something in Komaeda's heart, as the boy started to shake in what seemed to be excitement. "Please, let me help you, Hinata-kun," he offers, sounding as if he was supressing the excitement to not sound needy. "I've done ballroom dancing before." Komaeda looks to him with a kind smile, and Hinata purses his lips, not really seeing it as an inconvenience or a bad idea at all. "Lessons are during the day, so I should come here by sunset..."

Komaeda's hand cups over Hinata's, leaning closer to him. "You don't have to, Hinata-kun. I'll meet you at the castle."

 

* * *

 

Hinata found that to be a shock, but he realized that Komaeda could simply fly over with little to no suspicion. With some instructions, he hoped that Komaeda would be hiding out on his balcony, perhaps falling asleep waiting for him.  
His guess wasn't exactly wrong, as he enters his room, seeing a boy crouched into a ball behind the clear balcony doors, sleeping or pondering on something. _I don't really want to wake him up,_ Hinata thinks, slowly creeping his way towards the balcony, quietly slipping through the door.  
When he squats down to see Komaeda, he's actually sleeping, his face somewhat hidden under his forearms. His hair was floating and waving to him in the wind, resembling that of fluffy white clouds. Smiling to himself, Hinata pats Komaeda's head. "Are you asleep?"

"Yeah."

His smile immediately disappears as he stares at Komaeda with a _'are you serious'_ kind of look, somewhat in disbelief. "Right. Since you're so sleepy, I guess we're not going to meet up today, so I'll just casually push you over the railing."  
Komaeda's body starts shaking, and eventually he hears a quiet laugh, stifled. "Please do that when I have wings," he jokes as he looks up, smiling at Hinata, his lips in a fine line as he continues giggling.  
They both end their small joking moment and head inside.

The moment that Komaeda sets foot into his chambers, he looks around with some sort of fascination - his eyes had this sort of twinkle that grew brighter with each little detail that he found interest with - for example, the curtains draping over the clear balcony doors seemed to have caught his attention. He was already touching it and staring at its hues of green, down to a silky white transparency met at its bottom. “This is… quite the room, Hinata-kun,” he comments, a smile painted on his lips as his eyes examine the room with much interest. It was somewhat endearing, the way his eyes widened when he saw something interesting, and how his gray pupils darted from one place to another, perhaps looking at everything. _Well, everything but me,_ Hinata thinks, finding his comment a little funny.  
Komaeda looks to Hinata with some confusion, noticing his face twisting into a tiny smile, his body shaking, ever so slightly. "Hm? Is something wrong, Hinata-kun?", he asks, in a deep whisper.  
"Nothing, nevermind. Anyways, you said you know how to dance?", he starts, his eyes looking over the warm sunset leaving his land in the shadows. "Yes... well, something's missing..."

"Huh?"

"Hinata-kun, please turn around for a moment."

With a nod, he turns away from the boy. _What is he going to do?_ Somewhat curious, he tried to distract himself by letting his eyes wander off to other distractions lying in his abode, but a quiet shuffling and something that sounded like rustling continued to pique his curiousity.  
Deciding to hold his urges, he closes his eyes and exhales, waiting for Komaeda to finish.  
After a minute, he hears his calling.

"Hinata-kun, I'm ready now."

When he turns, he's a little surprised at what he sees - Komaeda still looks mostly the same - except, he's taken the curtain and wrapped it around his waist, appearing to imitate a long skirt. Surprisingly, it looked good on him - or rather, it wasn't surprising at all, if anything, it was just simply _beautiful,_ and Hinata appreciated that. The way the green played against his white suit was flattering, and it draped nicely around his waist, a knot around his side. "I didn't think my curtain could look this good," Hinata comments, smiling at Komaeda, who seems to appear embarrassed, but laughs at his comment. "Thank you, your Majesty."  
He curtsies, lifting the skirt with swift, smooth motion, the silken fabric wrapped between his fingertips. "Shall we dance?" In courtesy, Hinata bows, one arm at the front, one behind his back, taking about half a bow. "Of course, my L- uh, Komaeda." He hears Komaeda giggle, and they both rise, taking a step towards each other with flushed cheeks.

Hinata reaches his right arm down to Komaeda's waist, hesitant as his hand wavers over his hip. Don't be nervous, Hajime, he tells himself, softly setting his hand upon the soft fabric of his snow-like suit. He holds out his other arm, keeping his hand open as Komaeda inches closer, and it makes Hinata's heart race just a little bit faster with each passing moment - _why am I so nervous,_ he asked himself reptitively, biting his lip.  
Fitting his form, Komaeda reached his left hand up to Hinata's shoulder, broad-like, but hidden under an illusion of his attire, that didn't seem to represent how he looked so. His mind started to race about how, maybe that he might be able to see what he truly looked like, in the skin he was born in, for who he was - _Hinata Hajime,_ rather than a boy playing prince.  
His palm touches Hinata's, and he slides his fingers between the other's crevices, their fingers entwining and grasping onto the other. "You... know the basics, right, Hinata-kun?", Komaeda starts, more nervous than he'd imagined to be. _So much for being a teacher_ \- he was way more flustered than he'd thought he would be. The idea of him whisking his precious prince off his feet was definitely not was what was going to happen.

Hinata nods in response, and they silently step, and the prince remembers his teacher's instructions - _one, two, and step,_ he tells himself, finding himself stepping onto the silk fabric, causing Komaeda to look down and stop for a moment. "S-sorry-" Komaeda stops Hinata in his sentence, shaking his head. "Don't apologize. Let's try again."  
They repeat the process. _One, two, and step. One, two, and step._ Eventually, a few tries gets Hinata into the rhythm of the dance, and they both find themselves smiling at how much more fluid the dancing became. "Do you know anything more?", Komaeda asks, but Hinata shrugs back, exhaling. "I do, but I don't remember exactly. Like, spinning around and leaning the person over..."

Komaeda nods to him, and leads Hinata on, quickly whispering the steps to him as he passed him by. They turned and stepped across a pristine floor, and what seemed to be the moon, already awake, refecting its gaze into the room. Their shadows followed under the moonlight in their slow dance.  
"Like this," Komaeda whispers, and he leans back, pulling Hinata with him. For a moment, Hinata thinks - _wow, this is actually working out_ \- but once moving his other leg, he steps on the curtain, slipping and tumbling downwards onto the other, followed with their sudden groans.

Hinata lands squarely onto Komaeda's chest, somewhat in shock from the sudden fall, and looks to Komaeda who's rubbing his head, wincing. "Komaeda, are you..."  
His words stop immediately.  
They're much closer than he thought they would be, and he's face-to-face with the other boy, their faces beginning to flush.

  
_Hinata-kun's so close to me._  
Somehow, that thought struck Komaeda as odd, since they've been much closer than this before - in fact, they've already kissed each other, so why did a little bit of distance matter to him? There was a sudden rush of something warm, aching in his chest. It felt ticklish and odd, and maybe just somewhat fluttery, to say.  
Maybe it was because he couldn't stop staring.  
His eyes were fixated onto Hinata's features, staring into honey-dipped eyes that resembled some sort of soft kindness, a _sweetness_ that he could taste on the tip of his tongue. Was it the way he was looking at him? His brows were soft and his expression seemed to carry some worry for him, but it was just so caring and enchanting, the way he looked at him like that - like a mix of concern and longing. With his lips just ever so slightly parted, gaping at him in the most endearing way he could ever think that someone could look - in fact, since when did someone's lips seem beautiful to him? That was definitely weird, and maybe _creepy._  
But he couldn't stop - just looking at the face of who he was falling for was slowly shattering his blushing heart into a million feathers that could float away in the summer breeze.

 

* * *

 

 _I've never really looked at him like this._  
That's what Hinata thought, gazing so closely at the other boy's face, and being this close was setting him on fire - his body was hot, his head was spinning, and his heart just couldn't stop racing. It was magical, in a sort of way. It was similar to that time they met, that split second where Hinata's arms reached out to the boy, surrounded by dazzling light, floating down into his arms.  
That's what it felt like. That moment that must've only lasted about 0.79 of a second, was what he was feeling right now. That feeling that he'd been longing for this whole time, to set his heart racing and feeling it almost about to burst - it hurt, but it felt nice in its own way. Somewhere in his chest, it was almost like he could feel something splitting and just making that pain in his chest, but he didn't want that to stop.  
And he never did.  
When he looks into eyes that look back at him, gray, but not dulled, one could say that he might be scared or fearful, but that puppy-eyed face looked more like he was feeling some sort of magic cast into his heart - something they both felt mutually, some sort of ethereal feeling that ripped them apart, but yet sent them flying into a sort of serenity from experiencing those feelings.

"Um... Hinata-kun?"

Komaeda blinks, and Hinata's face immediately flushes, helping Komaeda up, both of them getting back on their feet. "Should we stop for tonight?"  
The suggestion makes Hinata's heart sink, but he knows Komaeda's tired. Not just sleep-deprived, but tired of many things. "Yeah... yeah, sorry. You should probably sleep. Where are you going?"

"I guess... back into the forest? I shouldn't let anyone see me," he says with a smile.  
Wait, how? Hinata thinks about if Komaeda could just grow wings and fly back - was he planning on just sneaking out somehow? He'd get caught!  
"Komaeda, just stay here. Leave in the morning."

"Huh?"

"I mean... if you try sneaking out now, you'll be found. There's patrol at night, and in the hallway outside the room, so it's best to just stay and then leave by dawn."  
Komaeda nods to the idea, tapping his chin. "Yes... that is a good plan. Where should I sleep? Anywhere is fine."

"I guess... my bed?"

Immediately reluctant to the idea, Komaeda shakes his head, yelling - or rather, softly arguing back at him. "I can't do that, Hinata-kun - you're a prince, and we're both -"

"You don't want to sleep with me that badly?" Hinata laughs, and grabs Komaeda's wrist, leading him to the bed. He plops down on the edge and taps the mattress, inviting him. "Just get over here already," he insists, a playful smile directed at the boy. Komaeda can't help but smile back and let himself enjoy himself this night. Falling in love was really taking him over.  
"If you insist."

They sleep quietly, their hands lying on top of each other as they face each other when they sleep, their bodies only inches away from each other. Their hearts continued to beat in a similar, slow rhythm, to the rhythm of the ballroom dance - or rather, their dance.  
Both relieved, they sleep with smiles upon their lips, their hearts growing closer with each passing second.

 

* * *

 

Hinata wakes in the morning with an empty, but somewhat warm bed, and it feels sort of... _bittersweet._ Last night was magical, and it was their moment, and moment only seen by them, shared by them, remembered by them, and loved by them - and nobody would ever know of it. It would be their secret, and a first step to their love blossoming.  
A single feather lays next to him on the pillow, and that's how he knows for sure that he's truly falling in love, a choice made of his own accord.


	4. Chapter 4

You lie, underneath the water's surface, the liquid wavering, the glass-like liquid rippling before your eyes. Arms floating by your sides, your breath stays still in your lungs, and it's peaceful, though you cannot breathe - but perhaps, you were never able to breathe properly in the first place. A strangling world, that is what you reside in - and it will stay that way, forever.  
 _Yes._

_That's right, it's no longer the same._

* * *

 

  
The clattering and occaisional crashing of dishes, bustling and rustling, all of it can be heard when Hinata passes the royal kitchen, glancing inside and seeing the castle servants at work. _Surely, they're doing their best, so there's no reason to disturb them,_ he tells himself, and continues to walk on. Perhaps a quick discussion about what will be happening during the ball would help get rid of some nerves.  
It was tonight that the Midsummer Ball would occur, the servants being rushed to work quicker, faster, and efficiently. Every now and then, a maid would run into him, bow, and then run again, most likely going to go clean somewhere else. Surely enough, the Ball was going to be a hit, thanks to the work of everyone in the kingdom.

 _But first things first -_  
Leaving the castle, Hinata stood as he watched a horse-drawn carriage pull up at the castle entrance, coloured a vivid green, embellished with golden symbols. Coming to a halt, the rider stepped off the vehicle and opened up the carriage door.  
Out stepped a beauty with a golden mane, her locks shimmering under sunlight. She looked to the prince with kind, teal eyes, giving the rider her thanks as he pulled her luggage out of the carriage. "Your Highness, Hinata Hajime, Prince of Kibougamine?" With a brisk nod, he watches the woman greet him with a curtsy, looking to him, kindly. "I am Princess Sonia Nevermind of the Novoselic Kingdom. I am most pleased to make your acquaintance," she introduces, standing up straight, her chin slightly raised. "However, I believe this isn't the first time we have met, your Highness."  
Bowing to her, he smiles back amicably, staring at her pristine appearance, her porcelain skin draped with a silken green gown that extended out behind her, flowing behind her with every movement. "Of course not. Should we start off with more casual honourifics, your Highness?"

Sonia smiles to him in agreement. "Then, shall Hinata-san do for you? You may call me as you'd like as well." Nodding, they both make their way into the castle, Hinata following his parents' instructions to a T. Showing her to her guest chambers was the first thing to do, and to make conversation to get to know her along the way was just as important. Later, he would find the time to show her around the castle, but he also had to greet other guests from neighbouring kingdoms for the Ball.  
As they walk towards the guest wing, Sonia decides to start up their conversation once more. "Hinata-san, how has the kingdom been running recently?" Her head cocks to the side, looking to him in curiousity, eyes shining. He nods back, thinking about his parents. "It's fine, I guess. To be honest, not much has happened, but that isn't a bad thing." Sonia smiles at him, and agrees. "Yes, I agree with that, as well. Peace is not a bad thing, after all." With casual talk about kingdoms and their interests, they arrive upon the guest chambers, and Hinata shows her the different parts in the room, and decides to leave her be to adjust to her new surroundings for the next few days. Though the Ball was only for the night, some nobles decided to stay for awhile longer. It wasn't a problem or anything, it was just the fact that Hinata never found himself to be a great entertainer at all.

The rest of the day continues on to getting the Ball ready - and Hinata himself, doesn't feel as ready as he thought he would be.

* * *

 

  
"Midsummer Ball?"

Komaeda's eyes light up as the topic is brought up. "Yes, I've heard of it. Why do you ask, Hinata-kun?"  
Hinata reaches into his pocket, pulling out an invitation to the ball. He silently hands it to him, looking at the ground with a blush. "Ah, you would like me to go...? I'm not sure how that would work out." Komaeda takes the invitation between his fingers, reading finely printed words:

To all Ladies and Lords:

You are cordially invited to Kibougamine's Midsummer Ball.  
Come dance, drink, and enjoy a magical party that will last to the next day.  
Please mind that this is a formal event.

Reading the middle line, Komaeda's lips fold into a fine line, staring at it with some frustration. "I can't stay for the whole party, Hinata-kun. From midnight to past dawn..."  
Hinata shakes his head and smiles at him, trying to reassure the boy. "You can leave earlier, it's fine." Komaeda exhales with a smile, seemingly more reassured with the comment. "Then, I shall partake in the party..."

He freezes.

"What's wrong?"

"What if the witch is there?"  
Komaeda's face is frozen with fear. Surely, nobody at the Ball would be a witch, since it was mostly nobles and many commoners who had no magical influence... _right?_  
Hinata doesn't want to doubt his kingdom, and shakes his head, cupping the other's hand with his own, feeling his palm warm up. "If it comes to that, I'll protect you." He notices that Komaeda looks somewhat embarrassed, and his cheeks brighten, but smiles back, giggling. "Yes... thank you, Hinata-kun. If you can... please, do."

* * *

 

  
Some hours before the Ball, Hinata is resting in his room, lying on his bed. His eyes bore into the ceiling, but he turns over and lids over his eyes, trying to rid of his thoughts. He was tired, and needed to sleep after making most of his day just showing people around. Feeling himself sink into the mattress, his mind glimpses into a faint dream as he rests.  
You stand before someone, hidden behind a brown cloak. You can see faint features under their hood - light strands of hair dancing whenever a shy breeze walked by, and a pair of gray eyes that seemed quite dull, staring downwards.

These eyes shoot towards you.

"Wait..." A whisper comes from the person, deep and whispy.

You see a tear running down their cheek.

* * *

 

  
Hinata's eyes flutter open, and he realizes that some time had passed - the sky was already warming, and he could hear bustling from the gathering of the people. Stepping out to his balcony, he peeked down and saw people donned in dresses and suits, wearing smiles along with their outfit. He couldn't help but start smiling himself, glad that his people were finding enjoyment in the event that royalty had been preparing for so long. Though, he couldn't say that he did much, himself. Even his parents did more work than he did - and that made him feel bad, honestly. Being the prince was like a nice little middle section where you could just sit back and enjoy before you had to start working - and to be frank, Hinata didn't like that. He wanted to have some responsibility, something to do, something to help with - whether it being helping the servants or helping his parents, at least they could make him feel less useless and make him do something.  
Slapping his palms on to his cheeks, he shook his head. _Don't be negative! Once you become king, you can have all of the responsibility you want._  
Heading back into his chambers, he looked to his bed, where the castle maids had left his clothing to wear. Usually, the maids would be putting clothes on him, but it made him feel even worse about not doing anything. At the very least, he should change his own clothes. Pulling off his usual tunic, he set it aside as he unbuckled his pants, lowering them to the ground. As he stepped out of the clothing with some grace:

"Um..."

He heard a female voice speak from the entrance, and turned his head to see a familiar face poking through the doorway. "This is a bad time, isn't it..." With a yawn, the girl stepped in, her pinkish hair bouncing along with her. "Ahem," she started, "Your Highness, Hinata Hajime, is humbly requested to get his slow being down to the party." The girl beamed at him, while Hinata stood awkwardly, almost naked, in front of her. This was Nanami Chiaki, who, surprisingly held quite the high status in royalty. She was basically a wingman of sorts, but under the King's orders, to keep her existence a secret, (of course, under an appearance of another wingman that Hinata didn't know well) she spent most of her days in a maid's dress. Not that she ever minded, but she actually chose to disguise under that (saying things like "these dresses look pretty, I have to wear them.") "Nanami, have you heard of knocking on doors? It's useful," Hinata said, embarrassed as he pulled on his black dress pants. "Sorry. I forgot again," she mumbles, as she watches Hinata pull on his clothes with a nonchalant expression. "Well, look - someday, somebody's going to misunderstand, and you'll get in trouble for it." Nanami hummed and pivoted on her heel, her back facing him. "I'll think about it," she says as she steps out the room, closing the door behind her. Hinata sighs, falling onto his bed as he stares up into its canopy. Closing his eyes, he turns over and lies for what seems like a few minutes, his mind somewhat blank. He should be heading down to the party, but he wasn't in the mood just yet - maybe a little bit later tonight.  
Falling into a restless sleep, he feels as if he's floating, falling, through an endless darkness, embracing it as it surrounded him, enveloping his being.  
It almost feels as if no time passed when he's called back to reality in another moment -

"Hinata-kun..."

In a quick reaction, Hinata's eyes open quickly, to see a familiar face next to him. A few inches away, Komaeda was leaning over the edge of the mattress, looking at Hinata with kind eyes. "Why aren't you at the party?", he asked, his eyelids lowering, lashes hovering above gray eyes. With a groan, Hinata presses his lips together as he closes his eyes again. "I just needed to take a nap first," he responds, as he opens his eyes again, seeing Komaeda get up. The boy pats down on his white suit, his feathery sash over his shoulder still shining as the first time he saw it, small diamonds embellishing among the sash. "Is this suit fine, Hinata-kun? I only have this," he asks, turning around and posing for Hinata. Waving him off and telling him it was fine, Komaeda pouts at the prince's reaction and grumbles, picking up the pillow on his bed and tossing it at him. "You could at least look," he says with a quiet grumble, and sighs when Hinata turns to look at him, but then turns away without responding. This makes Komaeda just a little bit set off, as he folds his arms and makes a little _hmph_ sound as he waits for Hinata to stop being so stuck-up.  
In which he isn't, as he's turned on his side, his face bright red. Was it the way he was posing for him? He sort of moved around and stuck his arms and legs out oddly, but he found that funny and sort of attractive, though usually said otherwise. Perhaps it was the way the suit seemed to perfectly fit on his body, from how broad his shoulders seemed to look, and how clean and white the suit was that it made him seem... angelic. Not that he hadn't noticed that sort of thing about how he looked before, but now that Komaeda mentioned it, it just seemed so much more noticable now, that his looks alone were starting to make Hinata get a little bit frantic. For example, the white pants that went along with his suit were well-fitted, seemingly creasing in the right spots, right at the knees, and some at his thighs -

With a groan, Hinata slapped his cheeks and sat up suddenly, frightening Komaeda, his eyes widening at the sudden reaction. "Um... Hinata-kun?", he mumbled, somewhat startled. Hinata turned, his body quickly crawling to the edge of the bed as he reached up to Komaeda's shoulders on his knees, his hands firmly grasping onto his shoulders. "You... you look..." Trying to finish his sentence, he was left in a stuttering mess of bwuhs and fwuhs, and Komaeda couldn't help but giggle at his reaction. "I look... _bwuh...?_ Thank you, Hinata-kun. I appreciate your compliment _very much,_ even I can't seem to make compliments as remarkable as yours."

"You're just one big sarcastic bwuh."

Smiling at Hinata's comeback, he kind of had a good idea of what Hinata really wanted to say which was not in fact "bwuh" and "fwuh", but rather words more like _"beautiful"_ and _"fascinating."_ However, he knew that it was not his place to be judging himself so highly - in fact, it was quite weird to think that the prince would be telling him that, but it felt right to him, so right that he couldn't help that even someone like him, even just once, could be told that they were actually attractive in some sort of way.  
As Hinata slumped down onto his knees, bouncing on the mattress, Komaeda knelt down and held a hand up to Hinata, his head lowered. "Your Highness."  
Immediately realizing what Komaeda was going for, Hinata hesitantly placed his hand in Komaeda's palm, feeling the other's lukewarm skin press against his, soft and smooth. "You may raise your head," he said back. He watched as Komaeda looked up to him with those shimmering eyes once again, and he kept his gaze locked on him, seeing fascination in his eyes. "Shall we head to the Ball?" Hinata nods, as Komaeda raises and so does he, stepping off the mattress as he looks straight into those eyes, their gazes not leaving each other even for a single moment.  
They lean forwards, just a little bit closer, their faces perhaps an inch or so away from each other, and with their breaths overlapping, they both move closer to each other -

"...oh."

The sudden voice shocks Hinata, and he yelps away from Komaeda, slumping onto his mattress as Komaeda stares wide-eyed at the entrance. "Sorry... was I disturbing something?" Nanami's face is peeking into the bedroom, innocently looking at them as if she hadn't realized what was happening. Hinata stared back at her, feeling a sweat rise on his forehead, thinking about the things Nanami would be telling his parents. "It's not what you think, Nanami..."

"Um... that you're having a romantic meeting with an unknown man in your bedroom during an event you have to attend...?"

"Hm..."

Hinata looks frantically between both of them, being the only one who was panicking about the encounter - and was he embarrassed. What was even more surprising was that Komaeda wasn't more cautious about being caught in the castle especially with the prince of all people, their bodies just about pressing up against each other. "Nanami-san, right? Both of us will be heading down soon, but if you could keep quiet about this for awhile, it'd be a great help," Komaeda speaks up, smiling at the girl. Hinata sees her nod and leave the room while he turns back to him, staring at him dumbfounded. Why is he so calm, Hinata thought, as his hand reached for Komaeda's, letting his palm rest against the other's. "You don't have a problem with being found out?" Komaeda smiled at him.  
"I just wanted to get back to kissing you."  
With a sigh, Hinata reached to Komaeda's face, cupping a soft jaw in his hand, his skin pressing against the other's, cool and smooth. "Then just kiss me already." Giving in, Hinata let his eyelids droop as Komaeda leaned over, letting his lips press onto Hinata's. It was that sweet taste again, but his lips were smooth yet so cold, almost the temperature of his fingertips. Letting himself fall into the kiss, he leaned his body against Komaeda's, feeling something like a small shock in his chest, potentially electrifying, that shot throughout his body, making him feel weak. It was as if he were intoxicated, delving into the taste of bittersweet wine as it brought him into a sweet trance, perhaps craving for that taste. "Mm..."  
They part, Hinata left breathless as he clutches onto Komaeda's shoulders, his cheeks hot and his body feeling like it was burning. His heart wouldn't stop, and it ached hard enough that it made him wince. "One more time...?"

  
The pair had made way into the party with little suspicion - excluding most chambers, the ballroom was most likely the room that was being heavily guarded, so it was easy to get Komaeda in, though they came straight from the chamber hall.  
There's a flurry of people celebrating and dancing, where couples slide across the dance floors hand in hand, smiles upon their faces. Others who weren't particularily fond of the dancing routine (or just didn't have a partner) hung out on the sidelines or were drinking. Squinting, Hinata scanned the room - he found Kuzuryuu and Souda sitting in a corner together, perhaps looking somewhat lonely. Taking Komaeda's hand in his, he pulled him to his friends. "Let's go," he says, and Komaeda agrees silently.  
Walking to his friends, they raise their hands as a greeting and notice Komaeda following behind him, his hand being gripped onto by Hinata's. "Oh, what's this? You've got a boyfriend now, huh? What is your parents gonna say?", Kuzuryuu teased, poking some fun at Hinata. Sure, he probably didn't believe that Komaeda was his lover of any sort, but laughably, he was. Not that he would tell them.  
Letting go of Komaeda's hand, he blushed, scratching the back of his head. "It's not like that," he retorted as he went to sit next to Souda, inviting Komaeda to sit next to him as well. They took their seats and looked to the crowd of people having the time of their life. Hinata made sure to introduce Komaeda to them, just telling them that he was a friend that he made recently in town. It was all a lie, but more than believable.

"So, Komaeda... what brings you to the party? If you don't have a partner, it'll get boring, y'know..." Souda looked to him with a smile, though he looked somewhat nervous. Komaeda, however, hummed and thought about his answer. "I guess I can dance with Hinata-kun..."  
Stifling a laugh, Souda covered his mouth. "Y'know he's the prince, right? Once a girl finds him, he's going to get taken away. Ya gotta try harder."  
Komaeda nods and grabs Hinata's wrist, pulling him up. "Then, shall we dance, Hinata-kun?"

Hinata doesn't get a chance to answer - in fact, he gets pulled away to the dance floor, feeling his heart beat to the music's rhythm as he's taken into posture in Komaeda's arms. They follow the other dancers, couples seemingly going in a circle around the dancefloor. Hinata followed, but he was nervous - in fact, he felt like his parents were staring at him from afar. He took a step closer. "Komaeda..."

"Hm?"

"People are looking at us."

And there certainly was people staring. Oh, it's Prince Hinata Hajime, dancing with another man whom nobody has seen before - _how strange!_  
Hinata was feeling embarrassed - very, _very embarrassed._

"It's okay. Ignore them," Komaeda smiled, turning as they both took another step. Furrowing his brows, "What do you mean, just ignore it? I can literally feel people staring at me."  
Komaeda hummed to the music, not replying to his answer until a good few seconds after.

"Then... let's separate for a bit, Hinata-kun. Find another partner, and I shall do the same."

"Wait-"

"I'll see you in private later," he whispers into Hinata's ear as he glides through the crowd and disappears, leaving Hinata backing away from the dancers. His face reddened - at the very least, he could stop speaking that way directly into his ear.  
He pushed through the crowd and watched as people bowed and curtsied to him as he bowed his head back, and took a look around, searching for a partner. Who would I even dance with, he asked himself, doubtful that he would find a partner. Prince or not, it wasn't like he was extremely popular, and most people already had someone else to dance with.

"Your Majesty."

Hinata turns, and he's facing a woman of astronomical beauty before him, pink hair tied upwards into a messy ponytail. She was nothing less than beautiful, especially in a red and black gown that draped over her hourglass figure. "I see you don't have a partner... so may I have this dance?", she offers, giving him a curtsy with a mischievious smile. "Lady Enoshima Junko, Duchess of Jabberwock." Hinata blinked, remembering the kingdom as he took a bow.  
Jabberwock, a relatively small kingdom, was located to the west of Kibougamine. It was in fact, somewhat secluded, and there was only a few select ways to go there, not that many people did. The ruling was somewhat corrupt, and the quality of life wasn't exactly what you would call perfect. However, it was better than a dictatorship, at the very least. Luckily, Kibougamine was rather lax, and ran by the interest of the people.  
That was more enjoyable.

Leading her to the dance floor, he took in her appearance as they walked - it was breathtaking at how beautiful she was. Had he ever seen someone who looked that good? Her eyes were of a beautiful sky blue, and her light hair seemed to smile and laugh along with the townsfolk enjoying the party by the way it shimmered under the golden lights.  
They stood and took their stance, a slow glide across the floor. It was a rather silent dance, to say, as the woman didn't speak up too much, but rather smirked at the boy with a devious look that made him a bit uncomfortable. "Lady Enoshima..."

"You can drop the Lady, and I'll just call you Hinata-kun," she abruptly spoke, smiling.

"Enoshima," he started, "how have you been doing lately?", Hinata asked, attempting to start the conversation. However, he could see Enoshima frown at him. "Oh, is that all you were going to ask?"  
Her answer shocked him - it was perhaps more impolite than he expected from someone in royalty. Stammering out a 'yes', she laughed boisterously. "You're pretty interesting, you know that?" Her rambunctious behaviour dres Hinata to think that she was quite the... social butterfly type, but slightly on the wild side. He didn't really mind, but her behaviour was drawing attention to them on the dance floor. "How about a girlfriend, Hinata-kun? You got any of those?" The question made his face redden, all the way to his ears. "Girlfriend? I don't have any of those," he retorts, feeling his body heat up. Somehow, having everyone start assuming that he had a girlfriend was too embarrassing. It was more like, a boyfriend.  
Junko leaned close, her bodice pressing up against him. "Oh, Hinata-kun, don't worry. I know all about your little affair."

His body froze.

The first image in his mind was that of Komaeda, all of those times he'd gotten so close to him, their attraction electric and desirable, lips crashing and fingers entwining, only the sounds of quiet moans around them.  
"Wh-what do you mean?" He looks down at the woman who is clearly enjoying herself, giggling as they pivot and turn across the dance floor. "Of course, you and your little swan boy! Oh, but I won't tell anybody, Hinata-kun, you can rely on me," she comments with a wink, as she proceeds to press herself as close as she can to Hinata. "...how do you know this?", Hinata asks, confused. There was no way there was somebody following him around, was there? He'd never noticed anybody, and whenever they hung out, it was only those two. The only person who knew was Nanami, which was recently. "Oh no, Hinata-kun! You can't just peek into a woman's secret's like that!", she teased, smacking him in the chest with the same loud laugh. "However, I might make a deal with you for it," she coos sensually, looking at him with lidded eyes. _This woman is so tiring,_ he thinks.

"Kiss me!"  
Hinata groans, and almost says hell no, but realizes that it was too impolite. "Uh, no, my Lady." He blinks multiple times, his eyes wandering around, but realizes that it was bad to be distracted around her when she presses her lips against his, chaste. Pulling away almost immediately, she winks at him as Hinata processes the entire moment. "I..." Heat rises to his face and to his ears, and he can barely even react as the woman giggles devilishly. "Oh, can't a young lady take a headstart?"  
Unresponsive, Hinata feels immediate guilt slam onto his shoulders, and hopes that Komaeda saw nothing. That was what bothered him most - it was almost as if he felt like he was cheating on him, though he wasn't the one to instigate the kiss, nor did he even want it! He dreaded this playful, devillish woman. "Oh, Hinata-kun. Is that a little bit of despair on your face?", she joked, poking a finger into his cheek with a wide grin. "Well, you're quite entertaining, but I have many other things to attend to," she says as she loosens her grip and drops into a curtsy, thanking him for the dance. "I hope we can meet again, Hinata-kun."

The way she said his name sent shivers down his spine, like her cold fingers tracing down the bone extending down his back, her hot red fingernails digging into his skin, pulling blood from him.  
This woman was to be feared, was what Hinata thought the moment she shot him a smile that was not meant to be kind, but menacing.  
The rest of the night is somewhat tiring, potentially from Duchess Enoshima's playful 'jokes', but he spent it socializing with other nobles, such as Sonia Nevermind of the Novoselic Kingdom, and other commoners who came to join the party. Of course, Hinata doubted that he would be able to last a party that went all the way to dawn. Setting his goal on finding Komaeda and escaping, it took him awhile to wander the ballroom, searching for the mysterious boy to no end. It was odd that he wasn't anywhere to be seen, and when he asked others, they said they'd seen no sign of him. Perhaps he was outside, Hinata thought, as he wandered into the courtyards, where few couples were chatting and enjoying the scenery outside of the stuffy ballroom, away from the loud music and boistrous company. It was outside where lovers could find some solace in the party, perhaps sharing a kiss and looking to the stars - or something cliche like that.  
"He's not here," Hinata mumbled.

But that was weird. There was no way he would've went anywhere else, and he said that they'd be seeing each other soon - so why wouldn't he stay somewhere he could at least find him? But something was worrying him. Was it because he believed that something had happened, such as Enoshima trapping him away in a corner, blackmailing him to use him to make a stain on the kingdom? It wasn't unlikely, sure, as she had more information than she needed to know - not to drone on about her charisma.  
He ran. Hinata dashed back into the ballroom, and oddly enough, Enoshima wasn't anywhere to be seen. Checking with Souda and Kuzuryuu, they hadn't seen the playful beauty laughing along with the other nobles recently. Something was wrong, very wrong. Knowing that there'd be no reason to investigate the same places, he fled the party and ran to the chamber wing, back to his own room. Perhaps Komaeda could have made it there somehow - after all, maybe he'd run into Nanami and she could've helped him in. His heart was racing. _Was he nervous?_ There was no reason to be - once he would find Komaeda, maybe the boy would be at the very least, angry at him if he'd saw him and Enoshima sharing a kiss, but that would be the most of it, and they'd be back to normal. _Yeah, everything is going to be just fine._

His feet were heavy. It was like weights, perhaps large sandbags, were tied onto his ankles and dragging his every step. Pushing forward seemed like an eternity to him - was it because he was scared? No, but there's no way anything would happen. If his world could somehow change into something that would destroy his seemingly perfect reality, he would push it away with all of his might.  
And maybe the fear of something happening was in his gut. His intuition wasn't usually wrong, but maybe it was because of Enoshima's intimidating personality that made this no better.  
Hinata stands in front of his chambers and opens the door, short of breath as he sees the white-haired boy lying on his bed peacefully. There was relief, and he almost fell to his knees, but first, he made his way to the bed. _Why was Komaeda here, and how did he get here?_ But that didn't matter - after worrying about him more than he should've, he somewhat dreaded Enoshima's threatening personality for his worries as his feet took him closer to the boy, every step becoming lighter, until it felt like he was walking on air.  
"Honestly, Komaeda-"

  
His breath stops.

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> i changed the warning but that doesn't matter right


	5. initium

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> Look at this, you don't get one or two drawings. You get like, four. Four. Four. Repeat that. That's a lot... no, it isn't. I'm joking. Please continue.

"Do you have a wish, Hinata-kun?"

Lips pressed into a fine line, Hinata responds, "Of course I do."

"Then, how about I grant that for you?"

Blinking, he's caught off guard - any wish that he could ask for? Perhaps eternal peace for his kingdom, riches raining upon him ever more, or maybe for his hand to be held by the one he loved. That being said, the first two ideas were plausible - but the last? It was _nil -_ and he could feel one of his heartstrings twist, a stabbing pain in his chest. His throat felt as if it was closing up, an invisible force that wouldn't let him breathe.  
The pain made his eyes water. "Yeah-" He pauses, swallowing for air, his voice cracking. "If you could, then..."  
  


* * *

  
Gravity yanks him to the ground and pain shoots into his knees, but he doesn't wince, nor does he cry. He doesn't blink, and he can't breathe nor think. "Komaeda..." His hand clumsily reaches for the mattress, gripping tightly onto the bedsheets as he had to drag himself to the bed. "Komaeda."

He calls his name, but it's to no avail, as he inches closer, his voice breaking with each call. "I don't understand," he whispers, lowering his head, closing his distance to the boy. "You're not dead, right..." Too much in shock to feel any tears, his hand reaches to the stain of blood around his chest - where was he stabbed? If it was his heart, _then-_  
Hinata's hand touches upon his breast, trying to feel for something, but he didn't feel anything, or perhaps it could've been too weak that he couldn't feel it. Hoping that it was the case, his face lowered to Komaeda's, turning his ear to his nose, his fingertips turning cold.

Was that a breath?  
He strained his ears, his eyes widened. _Please. Please come back,_ he hoped, praying endlessly in his mind.

Then, there it was.

Just one tiny peep from the boy, a groan of excruciating pain that was soft, but Hinata could feel his shoulders fall, like heavy weights shattering apart, leaving him be until another time. "Komaeda. You're... you're alive, right?", he called directly in front of him, and he could see light eyelashes flutter before him. "Hi...?"  
Hinata shot up. "Don't talk. Stay there, I have to go and get help," he ordered, and he hoped that the boy's silence meant that he understood, waiting for the prince to come back for him. Darting out the room at incredible speed, Hinata made his way to the Royal Library, usually where she would be -

"Nanami!"

The library door slamming open, the girl was shocked awake from the loud thud. "Hinata-kun...? What's wrong?", she asked as she got up, rubbing her eyes, but she analyzed Hinata's expression and took no time to head over to him. "...please lead the way, Your Highness," she said, and Hinata nodded as they both ran back to his chambers, taking a stop to grab supplies from the storage. Running as fast as their feet could take them, they bursted into his bedroom and to the bed, only a bloodstain left on his sheets.  
Komaeda was nowhere to be found.

"What the...?"

 _Why was he gone?_  
Shoving away his time to reason, he abruptly turned to Nanami, "He couldn't have gotten far, let's go." Nodding back, they left behind his chambers, bolting out in opposite directions - Nanami to check majority of the chambers, and Hinata back down into the party - though, a man who was bleeding everywhere would be easily noticable in a crowd of people. In fact, the party would stop for a man who looked as if he was about to die.  
He ran faster than he thought his feet could take him - looking left and right, perhaps looking like he was crazy from the circles he was running in. Komaeda... where are you?

Seeing Nanami come down to him at the party, the both shook their heads in unison, solemn. "I'll check the front. Hinata-kun, please check the courtyard." They went opposite ways, and Hinata went back to the courtyard where some couples were still frolicking to and fro, quietly whispering sweet nothings to each other. Taking a run around the courtyard, he made sure not to miss a single spot.  
At the edge of the courtyard, he was there.

* * *

  
It was weird, though - he looked fine, as if his injury had been a hallucination. Komaeda was there, sitting on the ground, hugging his knees and sleeping soundly. Hinata froze before making a move, feeling the world stop around him. _What if I'm just seeing things? Actually, which one of them is real?_ His mind was jumbled, but his feet slowly brought him back, taking heavy steps and collapsing in front of the boy, who jumped at the sudden noise. "Hinata-kun...?"

  
  
Hinata was looking into the boy's gray eyes full of wonder, saying things like what happened and why are you here, "Ah, I fell asleep," he said with worry, looking to the dark sky. "I was waiting for you to find me, but I fell asleep-"

Hinata took the boy into his arms, shivering. He gripped onto his shoulders and his back and his arms and his hair and anywhere that he could grab, in fear that he would lose him. "Hinata-kun...?" Komaeda didn't know what to do, but when he heard silent hiccups and felt the prince's body shiver, he set away his confusion and smiled, letting his arms softly wrap around the prince's back who was crying like a young child. "It's okay, Hinata-kun. I'm here for you," he whispers into Hinata's ear, and it makes the prince's heart twist. He was confused and exhausted, and being able to hold Komaeda in his arms in the end was more than anything he needed. "Yeah... yeah..." He continued to silently confirm to himself that _yes, Komaeda is right here, in my arms, telling me that nothing has happened._ He was just dreaming, it was all a bad dream. Even if it happened, he must've seen something wrong. After all, how could Komaeda be safe and alive in his arms right now if he was on the verge of death? It made no sense, and the only way it could was to make it a simple mistake.  
Though, that wasn't enough for him. He knew the boy lying on his bed was Komaeda. He could see his face, and he touched his body, which was clearly there. Blood was spilled and bleeding into his bedsheets, and he could hear the boy's shallow breathing. There was no way that it was all fake, but then what else could it be? The mystery was growing, and he didn't want to be involved in it.

He just wanted to stay this way, cradled in Komaeda Nagito's arms, the only existence of magic in his life.

Within a field of golden roses, they lay, the silent sounds of sobs and hiccups accompanying them for the night.

  
  


* * *

 It was like nothing happened.

That was what made Hinata Hajime feel the most uncomfortable - he felt like he was going crazy. That Komaeda he saw on his bed, almost dead that night, was not a hallucination. Neither was the Komaeda in the courtyard, either, perfectly fine and comforting him of the horrors he'd seen. Both of them were surely real - it wouldn't make sense if either weren't.  
But if he said that both were real, he'd sound crazy. Of course, the only person who really understood him was Nanami - she saw the urgency in his eyes that night, the horror of the event unfolding before him. Yet, he was resting in Komaeda's arms like a baby, passed out from crying. Apparently, Komaeda and Nanami had carried him back to a guest chamber for the night instead of his own, since Nanami advised it would be better to keep him away from there for awhile. It was like a taboo subject - but nobody other than him and Nanami knew about it, so life had to continue on as normal. However, he made sure to never sleep on that side of the bed, never again. It didn't feel right.

"You've been looking worried lately, Hinata-kun," Komaeda said, turning his head to look at him, his fingers resting in the grass growing around the small pond where they usually met, "is something bothering you?" Komaeda tilts his head with the question, and Hinata doesn't know how to really tell him about it. He asked him the morning after if Komaeda ever went to his room during the party, but all he got was a _'why'_ and _'I didn't.'_  
"It's not much," Hinata says, sighing, "I'm just thinking about... things." He could hear the boy grumble as he stared up at the evening sky that was disappearing. "When you answer like that, I worry."

"Sorry."

"You can't just hope I won't ask you about it," Komaeda complains as his lips press together in frustration. Hinata felt bad to see the boy being left in confusion, but he couldn't explain it. "I know there's something important, and I'd really like to know..." Hinata's eyelids lowered, and he felt sorrow - he couldn't tell him now. Leaning his head over, he let his head rest on Komaeda's shoulder with a frown as he looked to the ground. "Sorry... I can't talk about it right now. But I promise..."  
When he sits up, he can see Komaeda smiling at him, the usual smile. "If that's so, then I'm fine with it."  
But, his smile looked a little sad to him.  
  


* * *

   
That evening, Hinata had to go back earlier and entertain most of the visitors that had to stay over after the party, which included royals from other kingdoms - and _yes,_ including Enoshima Junko. It was no surprise to him that she called him out to have a 'little chat' with him. There was no way he could refuse, so he was led to her chambers and quietly knocked on the large doors, seeing her appear wearing a red dress with a taffeta skirt that glittered. "Oh, Hinata-kun," she says with a sly smirk, "you appeared much earlier than I thought you would."

Hinata's unsure of what to say. "Ah, yes, I..."

Enoshima grabs ahold of his wrist and yanks him into her room, but he immediately pulls away. "Lady Enoshima, I shouldn't be in your room," he says, stammering. Regaining his posture, he remembered - _stay calm, and don't lose yourself. You're a prince, and don't let your emotions faze._ With his reminder, his expression softened as he looked to Enoshima with a kind smile. "If you'd like to talk, shall we do so in the lounge or courtyard?"  
He could see the woman purse her lips in thought, but it changed back into its usual mischievious smile. "Then, I'll see you at the courtyard soon, Hinata-kun. Just go there and wait for me, I'll be there soon."  
For once, it actually seemed like Enoshima was a regular woman, unlike her boisterous, disturbing behaviour that wasn't fit of anyone in the royal line. _If only she was usually like this,_ he thought as he left her room and made a beeline to the courtyard - it wouldn't be good if he didn't listen to what the woman said en pointe. Whether she was playing with him, wrapping him around her little pinky, he had a good feeling that if he didn't abide to her that she might do much more to get what she wanted. At least, that was the type of woman she seemed like to him.

Standing out in the courtyard, his eyes wandered up to the sky which was starting to fade into a warmer hue, leaving behind the blue daytime sky. It was almost enchanting how the sky could change into such beautiful colours, and he thought, I wonder if Komaeda's looking at the sky right now. Letting his eyes watch on slowly moving clouds floating away, he let himself space out until he heard a chipper voice call out to him.  
"Hiiinata-kun, yoohoo!" Hinata turned to look at Enoshima who came up to him with a bright smile, approaching him and linking her arms with his without his consent. Not saying any refusals, he exhaled and decided to just play along with her flow. "So, what did you want to talk about, Lady Enoshima?", he asked, until he could see her glare at him. "Enoshima," he corrected himself. _Drop the honorifics, Hinata. Drop them, otherwise she'd probably kill you with that murderous look of hers._ She smiled when he corrected himself, and started off the conversation. "You see, I was wondering about you and your swan boy." The way she accentuated the description of Komaeda made him shiver, and he let his eyes look to roses growing in bushes, blooming in pinks and reds. "Yes, what about him?"  
There was no point to trying to hide anything from her, anymore. It was useless, anyways - she knew, and she would probably get angry if he tried at all. "He's under the curse of a witch, am I right? I am, aren't I? I know I am," she giggled, deeming herself correct. Not that she wasn't, but she was being quite annoying about it.

"That would mean you two are looking for the culprit, too, right? Have you considered anybody on your list of suspects?", she asked, "After all, if you leech out the witch, I'm sure that she would immediately be executed under strict law."  
And she was right - it was a way of witch hunting, yes, but somewhat different. In the past, people were blamed and suspected of being witches and were burned alive as their execution. It was highly supported, but many kingdoms have softened the laws on witches not too long after due to how violent it was. Now, the suspects were at least given a chance to prove themselves not guilty, but still ran the risk of execution. _Better than just putting someone at the stake and burning them right away by majority rules,_ Hinata thought, somewhat feeling lucky that he was born a little bit later. There was no way he would be able to handle seeing many people getting executed without much reason other than people wanted them dead. It seemed much more like hate lynching, in fact.  
Enoshima's voice brought him away from his reminisce. "There's a lot of magic in your kingdom, you know? There's many people who have some magic in their blood as descendants... oh, how lucky your kingdom is to not have killed them off!", she exclaims, smiling. Thinking about it, Jabberwock was a rather dictated kingdom, so he expected no less from the land that she was coming from. If anything, they were probably still running under similar laws to the witch hunting of the past. "Well, you'll probably find them, anyways," she says, "after all, everyone believes in their little prince!" As she speaks, she pokes at Hinata's cheek, and he doesn't retaliate, but silently grumbles. "Yes, yes. Prince of Kibougamine, a precious prince." Enoshima released his arm from her grip and walks ahead of him, examining the flowers. Right, I'm sure she would've wanted to look around a bit while she was here, he thought, almost forgetting that Enoshima was a visitor. It was just that she seemed so inclined to flirt and play around that he completely put away the fact that she had some sight-seeing to do as well. "Enoshima, would you like me to show you around?"

She doesn't respond as her focus is kept on a rose bush, her fingers brushing against its small petals. Feeling awkward from her lack of response, he approached her and looked down, until she mumbled a response. "...you..."

"Huh?"

Enoshima gets up with lightning speed, her hand quickly taking ahold of the collar of Hinata's tunic as she yanked him to her, her grip much stronger than he would've imagined. Perhaps he had a fearful expression when she grabbed him, as a smile on her lips was widening, similar to how ink slowly bled through paper, spreading. "Oh, haven't you taken a guess, Hinata-kun?" Hinata swallows the saliva building in his mouth. "What?", he asks, feeling his voice waver. I can't let her know that I'm scared at all, Hinata thought, feeling that she could smell fear. A woman like her would use someone's fear for her own advantage, after all.  
"If I had to choose a likely suspect..." She lets go, pushing the prince backwards.

"...wouldn't you say you're most likely to be the witch?"

"What..."

 _No, something like that..._  
Hinata couldn't say anything back to the woman, though. If he did, it would just be a miserable way of trying to defend himself, but she was right - he couldn't leave even himself out on the list of suspects. Just because he was the boy's declared lover meant nothing if he was the culprit himself. "But I don't..."  
"You don't have any powers? How would you explain that to someone else, Hinata-kun?", she says, finishing his sentence. He's startles, but keeps quiet, watching her explanation continue. "Listen, Hinata-kun. In our kingdom, we don't have the same rules, or the same mindset. If you think that justifying yourself is enough to save yourself... well, that's somewhat boring, isn't it? In Jabberwock, we know if you lie. And if we can't tell, we doubt you. And that..."

She walks past him, tapping his shoulder to give him some reassurance. "...is why I don't think anybody has a reason to believe you."  
Leaving him on the spot, Enoshima heads back into the castle. Staring down at the rose bush, he looked at the flowers, but they no longer looked the same to him - it was like they were staring at it, doubting him, sneering at him. Why did he feel so uncomfortable? Even if someone else wouldn't believe his words, he knew for sure that he wasn't a witch or anything of the sort.  
For sure?

The doubt started to make him feel a bit paranoid. He felt that feeling again, a headache rushing to his head, drowsiness catching up with him-

A pair of arms catch him, the feeling of smooth fabric brushing against his skin. When he opens his eyes, his head rings and he can't concentrate - shutting his eyes, he could feel himself faint. Feeling his body lift off the ground, his mind drifts off into the same darkness he felt himself drown into the moment he saw Komaeda's body lying lifelessly on his bed.

_Who am I anymore?_


	6. Chapter 6

Your fingers wrapped around his, your fingers entwine and your palm meets his. The warmth of his hands presses into yours, a warm heat entering your body. When you stare up into the starry sky next to him, you can't help but remind yourself everytime that you're in love. The scent of nature is wrapping you and him together, like a protective wall that would separate you and the whole world - a little world of your own, where you could embrace him in your arms, hold his hands, and kiss him. Laying your head on his shoulder, you smile as you breathe in the scent of his freshly washed clothing - some sort of sweet scent that made you dizzy. His hair always smelled the same way too, and you associated that with his natural scent. "Hey... are you going to fall asleep?", he says while giggling as your hair brushed against his neck. You feel him press his lips on your head, and you smile as he kisses you. "You said earlier... you wanted to tell me something?"

"Yeah."

"And what would that be?"

"I know who the witch is."

Surprisingly, you're not reacting too strongly. Maybe it's because you already guessed right.

"Oh? Who would that be?"

* * *

 

Catching him in his arms, Komaeda looks to the prince who looks weary and exhausted. It was Enoshima, he told himself as he picked up the prince, holding him in his arms. _Magic...?_

Shaking his head, he silently slipped out of the courtyard and made sure that nobody saw him - it wouldn't be good if someone thought he was kidnapping the prince. Luckily, leaving the town wasn't a challenge, and he easily made his way to the forest on foot, looking back to make sure nobody followed or saw them. Strolling through the forest, he looked up to the sky that was surely darkening and looked back down, taking care not to trip on any rocks or branches in the way. Heading into the small cave entrance, he passes through and makes way into their small 'sanctuary' of sorts and sets the prince on the grass. His gray oculars look down and focus on the prince whose complexion was appearing pale, his eyes tired and weary. _It's all my fault,_ Komaeda tells himself, realizing that he'd been causing so much trouble for the prince. Sadness set upon him as the reality of the situation dawned on him, like a blanket softly being draped over his shoulders. "I'm sorry, Hinata-kun. I'm so sorry."

Slowly, the boy lowered himself, his forehead connecting with the prince's, a sorrowful smile painting his lips. _I wish I could do so much more for you._

Leaning down, he presses a kiss to the prince's chapped lips, the familiar taste of a sweet honey gracing his senses. Defeating the curse wasn't supposed to be full of heartbreak. Wasn't it supposed to be a story of sweet, sweet romance, where sweet nothings were whispered between each other, quiet murmurs of _"I love you"_ shared as a sacred saying between them?

_Oh, if only that was all it was._

* * *

 

It was a long time ago.

Back to a time where it was the first time our eyes met, an instant lock-on between our gazes, fixated on each other. We couldn't pull away from each other. It was something that pulled us together, an enigmatic force that couldn't be seen nor sensed.

Yes, it was when we met.

"You- you weren't supposed to see that. You were asleep."

That's all I can croak out - what would I do if they found out? They would do anything to prevent me from turning back, anything - _if someone from the outside got involved, then..._  
My arms are gripping onto him. I don't let go, but rather I grip tighter. I'm scared. I don't know what I should do. Should I stay, or should I go? But, I can't leave it all like this... if I do, what should I do if he tells someone? No, wait, I do have something to counteract that, but still...

_...I'm embarrassed._

"Wait."

Ah, wait? I can't just stay - you might die, person-that-I-don't-know - if anything, that should be avoided. I make sure to back away from him and try to just... well, inch away. "Please, just let me go." I try to look worried, rushed, like I have somewhere else to be - and that place is definitely not here!

"Not until you tell me what happened."

"I can't." I can't, not at all! Please, it'd be nice if you didn't have to barge into this sort of business... you'd be in danger if you did. Getting someone that doesn't need to be involved is dangerous. Pressing my lips into a fine line, I show some frustration on my face - hopefully he'd catch that and at least try to shrug it off. "'I can't' my ass. There's no way you're just going to run after what I just s-"

_That's enough!_

I gather the courage and leap at him will all my strength - if I was hesitant at all, I might not get another chance. My hands reaching for his shoulders, I can see his eyes widen when I jump him, a deer caught in the headlights - and I crane forwards to press my lips to his. Magic, can be done indirectly. I know that. It usually is, and the best of all witches and wizards would be able to cast efficient spells without having to do it directly. Someone being myself, perhaps it was misfortune that I had weak potential to carry magic. The only thing I know is that the one who cast this spell - though I can't remember, given a portion of magic, I could use it to at least mask the memories of my existence. It'd be nice if I remembered how I got it, but nothing's well when the witch feels like they need to be anonymous. Directly, magic is stronger due to a physical connection - it's like comparing throwing a ball to giving a ball. Handing it to someone has an almost 100% chance of getting it to them, but throwing it to them might fail. It's the same concept - and with that in mind, I make sure that I press hard enough, focusing the magic towards him.

When I back away, all I see is him, puzzled. Understandable. But, there was no need for me to stay here anymore. Perhaps I could come back later, and hopefully not stumble on him again. When I stand, I make sure to glare at him and leave the pond.  "I don't intend on meeting you again!", I call out.

I run as fast as I can.

Even if my hair gets caught in a branch, I quickly loosen it and keep running. I trip over twigs and pinecones and rocks, keeping my distance. If he made chase, then I should keep running. It felt like hours until I finally stopped, but it must've only been a minute longer or so - how long had it been since I'd worked out at all?  
I decide to continue to run for an eternity.

 

_I can break fate itself._

* * *

 

"Hey..."

"...can you hear me?"

"You look so tired... but I understand."

"Thank you..."

 

_What was it?_

His mind was still spinning, like a whirling carousel that met no end. But, his mind was clearing, clouds over his mind revealing his consciousness as a blue sky uncovering itself after a rainy day. It felt like forever, like an eternal sleep until he'd awoken.

It was dark. He floated in a dark abyss that went deeper and deeper, even deeper than the deepest ocean - was this what they called despair? Why was he here - what was his reason to be here - who was he? What are these witches? Why did Komaeda turn out this way? The darkness was abysmal. But when he tasted something so bittersweet on his lips - _what was that?_ It called for him.

 

“Hinata-kun…”

Though he was still stuck in predormitum, his eyelids heavy, he managed to open his eyes halfway to see Komaeda before him, worry spread across his face. “Komae…” Something pressed to his lips - Komaeda was shushing him by putting his index over his lips, smiling at him. “You don’t need to respond. I know you’re fine…” Only moments after, he saw Komaeda lean down and bury his face into the prince’s chest, feeling strands of the boy’s milky hair brush against his neck. It tickled, but he was too tired to react. All he could do was close his eyes and enjoy the moment.

“I’ll support you as you support me…”

The quiet whisper lulled the prince into a deep sleep.

* * *

 

It wasn’t until the next day that he was already back at the castle - with Komaeda’s help, he was able to make it back into the castle undetected - of course, he pretended he was unable to sleep at times when someone caught him, only telling them that he ‘needed to take a walk.’ His body felt so healthy that it was surreal - yesterday, it was the polar opposite. Perhaps the rest helped, but he felt like that wasn’t just it. What Komaeda told him late at night was that it was the cause of magic - but whose, exactly? Of course, he was starting to feel suspicious towards Duchess Enoshima, but he didn’t see her do anything in particular that appeared to be casting a spell. Was it someone else, or was it another force that was making him feel that way? Whatever it was, it was definitely trying to get in the way of solving the curse’s mystery. Hinata deducted it down to that - there was nothing else it could be.

 _I should read up on it,_ Hinata thought. He decided that he would go to the royal library not too far away - there was an abundance of books in the royal building, and surely, there would be many books on magical history. If not, maybe one or two, at the very least. Magic had always been a controversy, so there had to be information on that. Setting his goal for the day to learn the basics about magic and the history of witches, he left his alibi with his personal guards and was allowed to take leave for the library. “Nanami?”, Hinata breathes as he sees her on his way, the pink-haired girl found dozing off at the castle entrance. She was fast asleep, leaning against the gray brick wall, appearing to be sleeping in a statue-like position. He approached her with some caution, perhaps as so not to alert the girl. He brought his hand to her shoulder and woke her with a light shake, her eyelashes fluttering to reveal blushed optics. “Hmm… Hinata-kun?” Rubbing her eyes, she looks to him with a fatigued gaze. “What’s wrong?”, she inquired, bringing her hands to her sides as she stood up straight, looking up to the prince.

Hinata looked down at her, realizing that he’d awoken her with no particular reason. “Uh… I was heading to the library… do you want to come with me?” Spitting out a request, he saw that she nodded silently, mumbling a quiet ‘yeah’ as she started to walk quite briskly (despite how exhausted she looked) towards the library’s direction. Jogging to her, he made sure to keep at the same pace as her. If he lost her, he would be afraid that she might end up falling asleep somewhere else.

It wasn’t what you would call a long walk to reach the centre. In fact, it was surprisingly close to the castle, still within the royal vicinity. However, those of lower classes were usually not permitted inside the facility - it was restricted to middle and high classes. Though it sounded unfair, Hinata knew he had no power against that. Most of the other continents did the same as well, as those in the lower classes gave no contribution to maintaining continental buildings. With that, however, Nanami was an exception. Of course, other servants had no knowledge about this, and she experienced some difficulties with making friends because she had ‘privileges.’ If only they knew.

“Nanami, is work going fine?”, Hinata asked, looking to the girl who was focused on the road, her gaze fixated on the dirt path. She didn’t respond for a moment, but looked up, somewhat confused, her hands patting at her ankle-length skirt that fluttered behind her. “Do you mean… servant duties?” Nodding, Nanami cocked her head, a hum leaving her. She stopped for a moment, and it worried Hinata that perhaps she might be facing something on her own, until -

“I guess it’s okay.”

“That’s good,” Hinata responds, “I heard some servants aren’t what you would call nice. If anything, avoid them,” he advised with a laugh, noticing that Nanami was smiling back at him. “Yeah, thank you, Hinata-kun. I’ll remember that.”

Overall, their walk to the library was an amicable one.

* * *

 

When they enter through large wooden doors, they see a familiar face at the tables. She was sitting there, golden hair shimmering under the sunlight entering from the tall windows, her blue gaze looking into the pages of a worn book. Sonia was quite peaceful, sitting quietly and reading. Nanami and Hinata looked to each other with a nod, agreeing that they shouldn’t disturb her, but when they took their first step -

“Ah, Hinata-san… ah, have you brought a friend?”

They couldn’t try to leave her alone, now. Approaching the princess, they each took a seat across from the golden beauty who set down her book with a smile, the pages of the book shutting. “It’s a pleasure to see you… I wanted to read for awhile, and thought that this would be the best place to go.” Her smile continued to grace her lips, somewhat infectious as Hinata and Nanami found themselves smiling back at her as well. “You chose the right place,” Hinata added as his lips were falling into a sweet smile that refused to leave him. "Your Highness, may I ask what you're reading? ", Nanami inquired in a formal tone, one he had never heard before. To think about it, he'd never seen the pink-haired girl on the job often. If anything, she was sleeping on the job whenever he saw her. Luckily, he'd wake her up, but what would her coworkers say?

Her ocean-canvased oculars moved to the girl with a grin. "Nanami-san, you may call me Sonia at times like these, where there is nobility that know of your status," she ordered, and Hinata could feel himself sit straight when she spoke, like a spell overcasting him to do so.

Nanami simply nodded and corrected herself.

"I'm reading about kingdom history," Sonia started as she gracefully lifted the book, placing it before the duo, "but to be precise, about nonsensical happenings ever since then." This perked up Hinata's ears - did that include magic, he thought to himself. "Sonia," he called, seeing the golden-haired woman's gaze move to him, "is there anything on magic? Spells, even?", he asked, seeing the princess open the book up and flip to the a page, perhaps one she read previously, a dainty finger pointing at a page. " Witchcraft and wizardry, " she recited as her eyes were focused on the subtitle, written in intricate print, almost looking like handwritten calligraphy. Perhaps it was, but there was no way of knowing. When Hinata eyes the page, he can't help but groan - the topic seemed to go on for pages, many paragraphs written in small font. It would take too long to go through it all. "Sonia, did you already read this section?", Hinata asked as he laid a finger on the pages, slowly reading the text. " Of course. Would you like me to explain?" Hinata nods, looking expectantly at the princess. She nods back with a smile."Then..."

"Nobody knows how long magic has been around," Sonia starts, her smile fading away, "but it is known that there have been magic users for centuries. Of course, witchcraft was not revered but rather the opposite, as witches were believed to be evil or cursed beings that would spell one's end. That's why witch hunting began - humanity couldn't accept any who used magic - even witches that had no bad intentions. And so, anybody who was ruled as a witch would be executed." Hinata listened closely. Perhaps any of this information could come to use in finding the witch that cursed Komaeda - of course, it sounded a little too hopeful, but information was better than no information. "Why were they burned at the stake?", he thought out loud, and he heard the princess giggle. "Nanami-san, I would wager that you know a little bit." Surely, the pink-haired girl nodded as she looked to Hinata. "Other than the fact that burning slowly to death is quite painful, fires are commonly associated with the underworld - or Hell, as we know it. It was like a way of sending them there... I think."

"That's just about right," Sonia responded, the amicable smile on her lips congratulating the little servant. "Continuing on..."

"Witches were often seemed out by those who were desperate. Those who were having money problems, seeking revenge, having impossible goals... I could make a long list of situations that could be resolved, but let's continue to save time. "

"The way wishes worked was that it needs a command, a sender, and a receiver. For example, someone must demand a wish whether it be the witch themselves or another recipient. Magic is then casted directly or indirectly." Hinata nodded, perking up with another question. "Are you saying that there's different ways to vast magic?" The princess nodded to him in understanding, her eyelids closing the curtain over her oceanic irises. "Direct magic is casted with physical touch - sometimes, touching the receiver's hand is enough, but less potent magic users will have to be closer, such as a hug or a kiss - as long as their body is connected. The closer it is, the more effective it will be."

That reminded him of a certain event. Hadn't Komaeda kissed him the moment they'd met, his chapped lips touching upon another sweet pair that bore the taste of a bittersweet wine, enticing him for more? It was a spell that drove his desire for more, more of the dizzying spell that was cast upon him, to send him into an abyssal haze beneath the boy's spell. "How effective are kisses?", he blurted out, feeling embarrassed to pop the question. The princess giggled when she saw flushed cheeks. "Well, it is very direct, as I said. It would be... a spell at its full power, I suppose."

"Then... what if the receiver was able to resist a spell casted by a kiss?"

Bringing her hand to her chin, Sonia tapped her dainty fingers to her skin, pink cuticles softly pressing into her skin. "They would have to have some magic potential to resist it. Of course, it also depends on how strong the sender is versus the receiver."

...

_"Don't you think you're most likely to be the witch?"_

The accusation resounded in his mind, like the sounds of something tintinnabular calling to him. Perhaps the duchess had a point - if he was able to resist the spell Komaeda casted, then wasn't he perfectly eligible to be the witch's candidate? Not only that, but how strong was Komaeda's magic potential? The questions hung sorrowfully in his mind, a weight dropping onto his shoulders. The fact that the cunning duchess had a point frightened him. "Sonia-chan," Nanami piped up. Hinata turned to look at the girl who was pointing at a section of the book with a serious visage, her brows furrowed. "Can you explain this part for us?" Her lips forming a small 'o', the princess leaned and examined the section, her sky irises moving side-to-side. "The types of witches and legends over time," she read out loud as Nanami nodded to the woman, the princess taking the text into her hands and skimming over it. "A long time ago..."

There was many kinds of witches that existed - ones who performed voodoo, spells, even blessings. Mostly, witches always worked in a trade - desperate people sought out witches to solve their problems. This was dubbed 'magic trade' and still occurs to this day. Witches would take something from their customers in return for the miracles they casted as a form of payment. However, magic, in a way, breaks the natural law of the other world, as magic and miracles bring the impossible to reality. With that, those who were granted wishes often met disastrous ends - for those who were lucky, were most likely a king, queen, or someone successful in general. Since the usage of magic is so taboo, witches were burned at the stake and purged from the world in order to cleanse their beings and to restore the world's natural law.

Magic isn't restricted to witches - what also existed were goddesses and deities that also performed miracles to humans that believed in them. Such is where religion was born, as man would sink to his knees and look to the sky, seeking for help from the one he worshiped. In our land, there is a goddess that is dubbed the Alternate, as in an alternate way for humanity to believe in miracles without having to turn to witches. The Alternate derived from a human being that was born on the Summer Equinox, where most people would look up to the Alternate and pray for good tidings for the following year. They are unknown in gender nor age, which had no relevance to how powerful their skills were. As long as the Alternate was capable of miracles, such details were irrelevant.

There is sayings that the Alternate bears descendants that are still alive today - was it anybody that Hinata knew of, was the question. If so, he could seek help...

"The Alternate may not know they are the deity's descendant," Sonia commented, closing the book with a smile. "It could be you, me, maybe even Nanami-san - but the only way to know is to activate their powers, if they haven't already." Hinata nodded as his golden gaze moved to the large glass windows that occupied the building. The sky was breaking into the evening, a warm drape of yellows, pinks, and oranges dressing the sky. "It's already this late," he thought out loud, murmuring. He heard shuffling next to him, and the little pink-haired 'servant' stood up, pushing back in the ornate chair. "We should be going back to the castle," she said, smiling at Hinata. However, his eyes moved to the book that they'd barely even gone over.

"Don't worry," she started, "we learned a lot."

She was right.

Standing up, Hinata saw the princess rise from her seat as well. “Hinata-san, I believe there may someone who can give you more information.” Nodding, he listened to the princess with a wary expression. “There’s rumours of an Oracle who can give you information on anything you ask… of course, that may be an exaggeration, but they’re in Kibougamine at the moment.” It was odd that Hinata never heard about such a person - was someone like that actually in his kingdom? It even sounded quite suspicious, but perhaps there was no other leads he could follow. Besides, the worst that could happen is either he got mugged or this Oracle turned out to be fake. There wasn’t much to lose.

He parted ways with Nanami - his first course of action was to tell Komaeda that he would speak with the Oracle. A promise bound him to tell the boy of any information he got ahold of, or any places that he planned to go to. This way, if anything happened to him, he would know where and could at least find help... or his body, at the worst of situations. There was no way to know whether the witch would suddenly appear and kill him - it's good to take some precaution. With that in mind, the prince emerged into their secret abode, the milky-haired teen found sitting at the pond's edge, toes dipped in the crystal surface. "I was waiting for you," he breathed, his head turning to gaze at him. His hair followed him in a soft and wave, the strands haloing around his pale visage, beaming. "Did you find something out?", he asked, his foot sinking into the clear water, ankles wading slowly. Nodding, Hinata-kun joined him as he pulled his boots off, taking a seat next to the boy. Slowly, the tips of his toes touches the water warily, wondering if the water was cool. To his surprise, it was quite warm, and he let his feet dip into the pond.

Quietly, his feet dipped and surfaced in the water, somewhat entertained. Suddenly, Komaeda's foot slammed into his, though the water was absorbing most of the impact. "What was that for," Hinata commented as he gave the other a light shove, both of them giggling as they played a game of footsie in the water. Until their stomachs got sore from the laughter, they didn't stop. It was a little moment in time where they could both find a way to cope with all of the problems going on in their lives. Once they were left breathless, Hinata looked to Komaeda who was gazing at the pond's surface with a serene expression.

"Can we do that more often?"

Gray oculars hidden behind fluttering eyelashes, Komaeda's focus was kept on the glassy water surface, sitting still. Occasionally, a soft breeze would kiss their skin and dance in the boy's hair, Komaeda's white mane becoming tousled as it danced alongside the summer breeze. "It's nice, being able to play around like that. It's like a stress-reliever, don't you think?" He was right - when was the last time Hinata had played around, carefree and ignorant of the occurrences in the world? Definitely never since he was a child. In fact, he hadn't played a single game of footsie since he was... what, five? The fact shocked him into realizing, exactly what had he been doing with his life so far? It was funny how much the boy was affecting his life. 

Hinata briefed Komaeda on the whole lesson that Sonia gave them, and that they should go to the library together something to take a look at the book once more. There could be something in there. He even invited Komaeda to go to the Oracle with him - but for some odd reason, he rejected, saying, “I’m sorry, I don’t really want to.” Of course, Hinata let it slide, but this was the first time he evaded something related to his situation - _did he know something?_

It was already the next day by the time Nanami and Hinata were prepared to leave the castle, simply leaving it as an ‘escort’ to the town, only on the exception that they keep a low profile. Knowing that, Nanami made sure not to wear her five-winged sealed dress and went out in casual wear. For Hinata, he simply pulled on a cloak and followed her quietly, making sure not to look at people too closely. Their era wasn’t what they would call peaceful, especially with broken connections with Jabberwock. Most of the kingdoms were focused on becoming unified, but Jabberwock was the only kingdom that wasn’t agreeing with that opinion. With that, Hinata’s parents wouldn’t allow Hinata to leave the royal grounds often. If he did, someone would have to be with him, whether it be a friend or servant, and he would have to make an attempt to stay low.

Receiving detailed navigation instructions from Sonia and sometimes stopping other villagers when becoming confused, the duo eventually reached a small building and rapped on the door’s wooden surface, a loud knock resounding.

The Oracle was nothing they’d expected.

 

_“Who is it that comes to my lovely abode,_

_-oh, what questions do they hold,_

_a tale of someone who soared?”_

 

A sweet singing voice greeted them, and he couldn't help but be shocked when he heard ‘someone who soared.’ His chest tinged with a slight bit of excitement, but more so, starting to feel hopeful with the outcome of this meeting. The Oracle would be able to help them… especially if walking through the door already told his story to her. “You know,” Hinata murmurs as the woman comes into sight, navy blue hair of a soft wave that followed behind her, forming a halo around her thin stature. Adorned on her face was a silken ribbon of a dusty pink, and he was unsure as to why it was covered. Either she was blind, or there was something she was hiding - regardless, he had no idea what it was. The woman donned an especially fanciful dress, and her dark dress seemed to sparkle as she walked, like the universe was worn upon her figure.

“I do know everything. I’m the Oracle - Maizono Sayaka.” The woman smiled at him, and he could tell it was genuine as her eyes softened from it’s prior glare. “But, let’s get straight to business. You need information.” Hinata nodded, swallowing saliva building up in his mouth. Somehow, he was feeling a little bit anxious. Perhaps it was because he didn’t know what to expect from her.  
“I know a general idea of your situation, so there’s no need to spell it out for me. I don’t need the full story to tell you something. Meddling in affairs is…” She stops for a moment. “...no, please ignore my previous statement. Shall we continue?”

Set upon the table was a small crystal ball and other trinkets that Hinata had no idea what they were - while he was wondering, he heard Maizono speak - “Please concentrate, your Majesty. Place your hands on the table and focus on the prime factor in your situation.” Setting aside the fact that she already knew he was the prince, he hesitantly placed his palms to the red fabric atop the hard table. A pair of fair hands pressed on top of his as her eyes were focused onto the ball. “Please close your eyes.”

Doing so, he made sure to follow her instructions. Prime factor… that would be Komaeda, right? Feeling his consciousness start to float, images played in his mind - the swan in the lake, the injured boy in his room, the unnecessary kisses, the ballroom dance, the particles of light that haloed around him for the eternity of a moment that he stared up at the boy for the first time, having him fall softly into his arms, when he cried in his arms in the garden of golden roses…

When Maizono’s fingers slowly lifted off of Hinata’s dorsal, his mind quickly jumped back to reality as his eyes flung open. “Maizono…?” She was staring blankly at the ball, a dull gaze in her eyes… like she was lifeless.

_Suddenly,_

 

“Stricken by a sudden attack,

the kingdom will be taken aback,

whereas the hidden aide

will find powers that laid

unseen, before their vision

a power that will be a grand provision.

Like an angel’s feather,

it will strike subtlety, a terrible weather

upon the five-winged town

where he lives, donning a crown.

Secrets unbeknownst, here they lie

a truth that is revealed

when the Prince dies.”

 

Slowly, Maizono raised her head to look at Hinata, worry in her expression. “Your Majesty… there is nothing good coming for you in the near future. Please exercise caution.”  
He was shocked. Utterly shocked. Of course, there were some things that were interesting like a ‘sudden attack’ and a ‘hidden aide’ finding their powers that will help him - but what was this about a prince dying?

That’s me… isn’t it?

The five-winged symbol of Kibougamine upon his collar, Hinata learned that nothing would turn out well for him. He was going to die, whether he liked it or not.

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> I'm sorry this took forever. However, I'm trying to bring the next update faster for the break.  
> Talk about trying to plot twist!


	7. Chapter 7

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> It took a while to bring this out mostly because of school and etc. Otherwise, here is an extra long update! (I apologize for timeskips, but I want to leave it up to the reader to question and to organize where they believe each skip is placed, including all parts that are seemingly 'unrelated!' Are you up to the task?)

_Soon..._

_Soon, I'll be with you again._

_My dear, dear Prince._

 

* * *

 

Leaving the Oracle's abode, Hinata felt dread seeping into his veins, a poisonous emotion taking control of his conscious. _Why,_ he questioned, _why does it have to be me?_ A dizzying haze was taking its place atop his mind, his eyelids weighing down, his will to even stand leaving him. He knew he would die one day, but knowing that his death was reaching out for him, he was unsettled. If death took him into an embrace today, what would his parents do? There was no one to take over the throne by their retirement. What about his friends that he treasured, listening to Souda whine about Sonia, joining Kuzuryuu for late night snacks in the royal quarters, or receiving life advice from Nanami? He wouldn't hear Saionji scald him for his uncoordinated steps, or see the efforts of the castle servants merge into a combined effort.

What about Komaeda?

The boy that suddenly crashed landed into his life by chance, cursed by a witch. Swan by day, mysterious boy by night. There was still so much to learn, so much to know. If Hinata died here, the mystery would never be solved. Komaeda would be cursed for life, and would be unable to live normally amongst humanity. Hinata was slowly falling for him - it would be unfair if he left Komaeda in the dust. He was the only one that could break the curse - love is something that could only be enjoyed so thoroughly the first time, like the experience of bittersweet lips gracing yours, a bitter taste that parted sweetly that would only increase the desire for more. Knowing Komaeda, the boy would feel it would be wrong if he got someone else to break the curse. Instead, the teen would most likely mourn him and live with the curse in a lonely world he was casted into.

Hinata and Nanami were walking a morbid walk down the village roads, dust billowing at their feet, bustle surrounding them. They didn't speak nor utter a single sound. Instead, they were both in their own worlds, ignoring the world surrounding them. Hinata felt like he was different, a dead man walking in a land unknown. Was it because he knew something that an average human wouldn't? Of course, none of the people who walked past him would have an idea of how soon their death would be. He felt like an outcast. Someone that didn't belong.  
Something caught his eye - on the side of the road, a man selling cloaks of a dark, heavy fabric, lined with white feathers. "Selling warm cloaks! Sir, would you like a warm cloak? The feathers are very soft. It will keep you warm." Hinata's eyes were fixated on the cloaks. They reminded him of Komaeda, donning his pristine suit, the sash of swan feathers embellished with ornate diamonds dotting the sash -

"Hinata-kun!"

Turning to Nanami who made a sudden shout, he saw the young maid who was dashing at him with incredible speed. "Nanami, what-"

It all went too fast.

The girl made a run at him, her eyes widened like a deer seeing its predator, tackling at him when a flash of light sparked, a shower of light surrounding them. It looked like the same magical sparkles that surrounded Komaeda when he transformed. Nanami leaped in front of him, shielding him from something - then, he saw it.

Someone in a brown cloak lunged at them - a groan resounded the moment the light appeared. Was it the voice of the person who was making an attempt to attack him, perhaps? When the light dissipated, all he saw was a blur of the cloak passing by them, something golden emblazoned across the fabric of the clothing they wore under the cape, their clothes appearing gray or white. Is that a town symbol, he thought, curiosity piqued. He couldn't put his finger to any of the kingdoms that matched those colours at all, so it could've been a clan or some sort of group - but he knew nothing on that subject. Even more, who held a grudge against him that they would feel a need to attack him?

He was glad that Nanami was there to protect him, but the most surprising part of the attack was the magic he saw. Hinata was unsure whether it was Nanami's or the attacker's, but the way the light surrounded them as the attacker got pushed back...

...it was Nanami's, wasn't it?

There were cries of some villagers who saw it, and most of the people were either left agape or stared at Nanami.

'That was magic, wasn't it?' 'Was it that girl?' 'Is that the Prince behind her? What does the Prince have to do with magic?' The whispers were encircling them, but what pulled him out was Nanami tugging on his arm. "Let's go. We can't stay here, your Majesty. We've been found out." Nodding, Hinata quickly escaped with Nanami, looking back to his town, perhaps fearful of what they saw. What would they say about him and the royal family now?

* * *

 

Silence.

It was so quiet that perhaps the staggered breathing of the duo could be heard, or the occasional tap on the marble floors, being from the prince’s leather boots or the servant’s dainty flats. They both knew that they were going to be in trouble without a doubt, however the gravity of the punishment could sway. Perhaps Nanami’s title would be revoked, no longer an aide but rather a lowly servant, or simply banished from the castle in order to keep quiet about the situation. He knew his father - he knew what he could do, and surely, that was a possibility. He might even send her to another kingdom such as Novoselic, but he doubted that she would be moved to another fond kingdom. In fact, a true punishment would be sending her to Jabberwock. Hopefully - hopefully, that wouldn’t happen.

Hinata knew that he was in for trouble, too - but did it really matter for him? He was the prince. If anything, the most that would happen was getting grounded and stay in the castle grounds for the next month. That wasn’t so bad - besides, it was still possible to see Komaeda. It would just have to be that Komaeda would have to see him. But, he pushed those thoughts aside. It seemed so unfair for him to think that his circumstances mattered when Nanami was caught using hidden magic outside the royal premises - in front of the prince, even! Rumours would fly. Rumours start out so factual, but eventually they become so twisted that it even confuses the one who started it all. Knowing that, what would they say about Nanami? They might call her a witch - maybe worse. The thought of it made his stomach churn, the silence weighing on his shoulders, until she spoke.

“It’s alright to suspect me,” Nanami chirped, a quiet whisper escaping her lips. She didn’t look at the prince - her gaze was focused on the marble flooring. “You know I can do magic now.” Blush irises looked to him for a moment as her lips formed into a smile, but it quickly faded away. Was she telling him that he was supposed to suspect her as a witch? That seemed nearly impossible - sure, she had magic, but Nanami was never that type of person. She was kind, caring, and Hinata wanted to justify that. Of course, he couldn’t think of a way to, so he simply asked -

“Why would I do that?”

The girl hummed. “Because I have magic potential.” However, the answer wasn’t enough for Hinata. He wanted Nanami to be the good guy in the situation - she was kind, she was friendly. They were always friends and always together - he wanted to protect her and her happiness, as she’d always done for him. Of course, he liked her. It was a platonic feeling that he wanted her to be happy, but what would he do now?  
He kept his hands balled in fists, lying on his lap. “That’s not enough reason to write you as a suspect. You’re still my friend.” The girl only giggled and grinned, looking to the prince with a weary smile. “Where’s the Hinata Hajime that I know? I’m sure that no matter what, he would look for the truth, even if his friends were guilty. At the very least, please suspect me.” He wasn’t sure what to say about the girl’s sudden proposition. She was right - he shouldn’t be standing back and hesitating to suspect even the closest of friends, so Nanami was no exception. He saw her use magic, didn’t he? Steeling his heart, he nodded, an invisible force blocking his throat. “Yeah,” he croaked, “yeah, you’re right. Sorry.” Nanami smiled at him, brushing dusty pink strands from her visage. “Thank you.”

Hopefully that would be for the best.

Eventually, they were called into the king’s office, lead by a servant that Hinata didn’t recognize. She spoke in a child-like manner, her hair starting in a white with a soft pink ombre at the tips. This woman wasn’t anything like someone from Kibougamine, as she had a very preppy look about her. It reminded him of Enoshima Junko’s flamboyant style. The duo followed behind the woman quietly until the prince finally spoke. “I don’t believe I’ve seen you before,” he starts, noticing the lady turn to him, only for her to face forwards once more. Hinata thought she was ignoring him until -

“Your Majesty, I will intwoduce myself in due time.” Okay, her way of speaking was just a little bit annoying. Setting that aside, he quieted down and followed her until they reached large ornate doors, made of a burgundy-dyed wood. The woman knocked the door three times, each rap sounding exactly the same. She stood up straight and bellowed, “Pwince Hinata Hajime and King’s Aide Nanami Chiaki awe pwesent!” There were a few moments of silence until a voice called them in. The gradient-haired woman opened the door slowly, bowing as she did so.

“Pwease enter, your Majesty.”

The two were sitting across from the king - Hinata across from his father, to be correct - _tense._ The room was showered in the evening sky, the warm carpet laid upon the sky seen through the office window. His father looked at him with stern eyes - then Nanami, and directly back at him. "Hajime, you know you must exit royal grounds in a proper disguise with two guards with you." Hinata grit his teeth - did he forget that Nanami could easily classify as two guards? Regardless, he wasn't exactly fond of the royal guards. Walking alongside them wasn't just embarrassing, but he could also see scorn on their faces, showing that they clearly didn't want to be the prince's protector. Hinata agreed. He wouldn't want to protect himself, let alone a mere prince - many of the guards who were stuck with that job got much less pay than the guards to the king, after all. Guards below that would put on a good front most of the time, but anyone who wasn't the ruler would receive a harsh time - and somehow, that included himself. Money sure corrupted people.

“However,” the king started, Hinata jumping back to reality, “because this isn’t something that happens often, I will not punish you. This is a warning, Hajime - even though I may be going easy on you this time, trying again will result in consequence.” Briskly nodding, Hinata stayed shut - he’d made it by the skin of his teeth. Next time, he’d have to be more careful - regardless of whether his primal goal was Komaeda or not, his father would never give him the time of day if his actions interfered with the daily routine. The sudden attack and Nanami’s counter already instilled fear and perplexed the people - any more, and it would mean even longer wait times for the people of Kibougamine to calm down.

“Miss Nanami Chiaki.”

“Yes, your Majesty.”

Nanami bolted up, standing straight on her feet. Her hands immediately found their place at her mid-section, fingers entwined as coral optics fixated to the king fearlessly. “You know yourself of your true job. Yet, this is the first time you have found yourself in quite useless pandering. Is that correct?” Lips pressing into a firm line, Hinata looked up to Nanami whose expression didn’t waver a bit. Even he was angry at his father’s description - useless pandering - how was any of it useless? Of course, defying the king’s words in any situation would result in large consequences.

“I believe not, your Majesty.”

The king hummed impatiently. “Continue.”

“As your aide, part of my job is not only to stay hidden, but to protect this land and to relay any important information to the messengers and your Majesty, if required. Therefore, as part of my second point, protecting the prince is as important as it is to protect this kingdom. As Prince Hinata Hajime will one day rule the throne, I have taken it upon myself to protect him.”

“You, however, revealed yourself within town and used magic.”

“I realize that, your Majesty.”

For a moment, he thought he saw his father flinch, just about to stand up - but he froze, and simply slunk back into his seat. “Please explain the situation, Miss Nanami Chiaki. Hajime, leave this room at once. I believe this is a discussion between us two.” Though reluctant, he stood and walked towards the exit, but stopped in his steps and inhaled. "Father, you won't do anything, right?" Voice shaking, he turned his head ever so slightly to gaze at his father with intrepidity. What the king gave in return was an understanding nod. "Hajime, there is nothing to fear. Details aside, Miss Nanami Chiaki will have no serious consequences. I simply need a chat with her."

His father's words swiftly healed his heavy heart. Though the king was harsh and strict, after years of being his son, he knew when his father was being genuine. With a sigh, he exits the room with a smile, in contrary to his entrance. Looked like he was free to go.

* * *

 “Komaeda?”

Peeking through the haze of vines, the prince exited the small cave into the abundance, only finding the area empty. It was as usual, however - he saw the pond shimmering under the sky, the grass bearing a bright green, nature hanging low over his head. Komaeda was nowhere to be seen, which was odd since he should’ve been-

“Surprise!”

At that moment, hands grabbed onto the prince’s shoulders, shocking him - but the voice was familiar. Ah, it was just Komaeda. He couldn’t help but laugh that he thought something happened for a moment, such as him going missing or something along those lines. Why, his worry was almost laughable. The boy was there the whole time, but he was hiding. “Hey, are you trying to scare me?”, he commented, laughing as he turned to the boy with a wide grin. All he saw was a silly expression worn on the boy’s face, speaking to him of happiness and hilarity - something he hadn’t felt for awhile. They were both laughing as they went to take their seats at the edge of the pond, holding hands. There was something racing in his chest, perhaps his heart taking a leap or two. It ached - just a bit, and he didn’t know how to describe it.

They sat side by side, fingers intertwined, talking about things like what they liked to eat and what their favourite colour was. It seemed traditional to do such a thing - why was it that people didn’t inquire about these sort of simple interests, that it would confuse us when someone asks ‘what’s so-and-so’s favourite colour’, or a general question? He felt like the more he knew about Komaeda, the closer he felt to him. Not physically, but his relationship, to say. In fact, it was audacious and bold of him to say that he would break the curse - rather, it was almost impossible, seeing that Hinata Hajime was a complete stranger to Komaeda Nagito. Now, he thought that, yes, this was possible. They would fall in love. They would break the curse. And with that, live happily ever after. It sounded like a lovely fairytale.

Surely, the day would come when he would clutch the boy in his arms as daybreak comes, for Komaeda to stay the person he was. The boy he was, not the cursed swan he was casted to be. He would be able to live a normal life.

“Hmm… okay, what’s your favourite animal, Hinata-kun?”

“The sea urchin.”

“You’re lying.”

“I’m not lying.”

“You don’t live near the sea. How do you know what it is?”

“I saw it in a book.”

“You’re so simplistic.”

The boy’s lips pursed in a huff, acting childish towards the prince. “Are you always this silly? Geez, stop making that face. Really, stop it. It looks weird.” Instead, the boy would continue to stare at him with lips awkwardly pursed, making an attempt to force them together as hard as he could. He looked rather strained doing so - Hinata stuck out his tongue at the other, making goofy expressions as both of them eventually started having a funny face-off. It was silly and fun, doing such a thing - it reminded him of the other time when they were playing a silly game of footsie and waltzing across his bedroom floor. Every one of these moments were so innocent, so pure. Hinata treated them all as precious memories, memories that he would never leave behind. They would stay with him forever, during the curse and after.

After they'd finished playing around (in which Komaeda won), they were both breathless and smiling as they looked to a starry sky horizon before their eyes. When they looked into the pond, reflections of the star-dotted night sky looked back at them as they admired the magical display. Komaeda leaned over and dipped his index into the water's surface, round ripples surrounding his finger, slowly extending out and fading. "What are you doing?", Hinata asked, watching the ripples appear and fade. Komaeda lifted his finger from the water, a single drop falling back into the pond and rippling once more. " I'm touching the sky," he responded with a grin. "Figuratively, of course."

Giggling at the statement, he could feel that the innocence of their thoughts were joyful. Perhaps one day, everyone would be able to indulge in simple joys and fantasies.

One day.

* * *

 By the time he'd left, it was pitch black on his way back. Luckily, he'd Nanami to cover for him and be the assigned servant for the night, entering his empty chambers and pretending as if he was still there. She was a relatively good actor, that girl.

It was as if the whole land had fallen asleep, dead silence looming over the kingdom. Even the bustling towns would sleep at night, perhaps only one or two fires lit in their homes. Most likely, everyone was asleep at this point. Making way back to the royal grounds, there was something off. When he passed the library, he saw a single light flickering inside, and rather curious, he stepped in. Who would be awake at this time - or what was it, rather?  
Who he saw sitting quietly at a large wooden table was Sonia Nevermind, concentrated on the book before her. However, this situation was odd. Knowing Sonia, she would most likely be asleep by this time as to maintain her schedule and appearance. "Sonia?" Hinata called out to her, hearing the princess him quietly, raising her gaze from the text to the prince. "Hinata-san? This is rather late, isn't it?"

"I could say the same about you."

The prince took a seat across from the princess with  a furtive glance, the blonde beauty immediately taking a look back at the large book. It was filled page to page with millions of words, and a few small images dotted here and there of odd objects. That's That was when he realized - it was the book about witchcraft.

"That book..." Hinata mumbled his thoughts out loud, the princess giggling and confirming his suspicions. "Why are you reading it again? I thought you already read it."

The princess simply have him a smile that quickly faded to dust, slowly turning the book to Hinata. He took a good read, noticing that it was about effects and feedback from magic. Before he could speak, she began to recite -

"Magic can perform the greatest miracles. Knowing that, humanity will turn to it when their lives are in danger, regardless of the discrimination between mortals and witches." Hinata raised an eyebrow - but the princess continued to speak, unaffected by his reaction. "But as miracles exist, so do curses. One does not exist without the other. But, curses act on their own. Curses have their own conscious."

"The moment a witch uses magic for a bad deed - a curse - they are backlashed with their own magic. The curse will spread and emanate, affecting anyone around them. Often, mortals fall into a deep sleep that resembles an eternal death, which we call Dormitus. Signs of life are found, but the body is cold as ice. This is caused from a curse feedback, commonly dubbed a re-cursing." The princess inhaled slowly, and was about to speak again when Hinata interrupted her.

"What is this about, Sonia? I know we talked about this before, but your sudden interest is weird." Almost as if she'd left a trance, her cerulean optics glanced to Hinata with life. "Ah, I was simply reading out what I learned." Hinata nodded - slowly. There There was something odd, like she was hiding something from him. This feeling was stuck in his gut, like lead being carried inside of him, heavy. "That's not it. You know more, don't you?" The blonde simply sighed and smiled. "Your intuition is a lot better than I anticipated."

* * *

 "You know?"

Hinata was left in disbelief - Sonia knew of his situation with Komaeda. She had no idea of who he was, but not only did she see him dancing with an unknown boy at the ball, but even inquired Nanami on who he was. Apparently, the girl had made an attempt to cover it up, but Sonia noticed their frantic actions that night when Komaeda went missing. “In the end, she explained it all to me. However, it is rather rude to hide this from many of your friends,” she reprimanded, looking to him with stern eyes. Hinata could feel himself sit straight - but when her expression softened, the tension suddenly left him, like a spell being taken off of him. “I know. I’m sorry.”

The princess only smiled. “We’re here to help as well, Hinata-san. That’s why I was reading up about the witchcraft, and thought that it would be helpful to lend you whatever I find out. I can’t help you by finding a witch on my own, but at the very least, I can help you with research and theories.” Though somewhat overwhelmed at her intelligence, he nodded briskly, when -

 

“Huh?”

 

There was the sound of something falling, like a book of some sort. That was when he saw something in the back of the library, like a figure, perhaps someone else in the library. But who else other than Sonia would be here at the moment? Nobody came out to talk to them. That’s when a cold sweat hit the prince, realizing that the situation could potentially be dangerous. It was like the time in the village, the unknown person who suddenly attacked him and Nanami. But this time, Nanami wasn’t here, and there was no way Sonia knew about this or should get hurt. Hinata was about to speak when he felt hesitation - what if the same person was really there, and they were listening to them? That would make everything worse. He stood up and pushed the chair in, and the princess looked up to him with a peculiar gaze, lips parted. “Oh, are you looking for something?” He asked for her to direct him to the area where she found the book, and followed her instructions as her gaze was focused to the book once more. This was his chance to perhaps confront or sneak on this person, whoever they were.

Slowly, ever so slowly, he took light steps within the darkness of the building. However, his footsteps still resounded in the large room, high ceilings rebounding the sound and echoing it within the library. It was dark, and with every step, it began to get colder. A chill ran down his spine, a wintry breeze had caught ahold of him. His eyes focused on the figure standing in the distance, enrobed in a large cape that seemed to go to perhaps, their ankles. Hinata couldn’t make out a face but only saw the smooth fabric of the cape being touched upon by the moonlight, a white glow emanating.

He was close. And then, it moved. For sure, it was a person. They turned to look at him, though he couldn’t make out the face clearly. That’s when they approached him with quiet, stealthy steps, revealing the mystery behind the cape, the cape's hood falling fleetingly to their shoulders. Light strands of hair fell and bounced with the motion, free falling to their shoulders; a graceful drape of silken tresses that slowly danced in the moonlight.

 

_"You’re -”_

 

* * *

 

What he awoke to was a normal morning, within the warm sheets of his bed. It was quite dark outside - was it still not dusk - that was what the prince thought, sitting up. A sharp pain shot him in the head, and he quickly clutched onto his forehead, hot palms pressing to his skin. It was most likely a migraine, perhaps, but when he saw the young maid at his side tuck him back into bed, he knew that there was much more to it than a simple migraine. “Hinata-kun, you have to stay in bed. You have a fever.”

It was Nanami who sat at his side, tending to him - and in fact, there was Sonia, too, who was quietly sleeping in another chair, head nodding in slight movements as she rested. Most likely, something happened to him that would require Nanami to nurse him, but to even worry Sonia to this extent. "What happened?", he croaked, his throat contracting - it was hard to speak with a pain beating into his mind. It was hammering into his mind, an outside source that was trying to reach into his brain, to hurt him and break him inside out. Quietly, Nanami was pulling on the prince's bedsheets, neatly tucking him in. "Sonia found you in the library," she started, leaning back and reaching to a kettle on a silver rack, "you were unconscious, and she called for help." She poured the contents into a small porcelain cup endorned with hand painted flowers of soft pastel pinks and yellows, steam slowly rising from the cup. "We couldn't wake you up, so we brought you here secretly in case you didn't want your father to know." His head tilted a small nod, barely visible. However, it was evident that Nanami could see his response as she smiled fondly at him, holding the cup to him.

"Can you drink it on your own? It's not too hot right now." Mustering up as much strength as he could, he reached for the cup with shaky hands and said his thanks. The teacup was quite cold to the touch -

_Cold?_

Perplexed, he looked to the cup with confusion, holding it and gazing into the drink. What he saw was nothing, not even a reflection. _Was he really there?_

"What's happening?"

Suddenly, the image of the princess and the aide warped, and they were there no longer. The last of what his mind could process was a pair of hands, icy cold. They wrapped around his neck and slowly crushed his ability to breathe, sharp nails digging into his skin, winter breathing the curse of death unto him. It was cold, their fingers virtually deepening, piercing into his skin as to rip him apart, to reach inside him. The cold numbed his skin, as a frostbite did - the more cold it appeared to be, the more it pained, sharp daggers stabbing into his neck. I have to turn, he thought, I have to know who this is. With the last of his strength, he was able to slowly turn, his ochre gaze moving as far as they could, just about managing to look at the face of his attacker.

All he saw was a pale faced boy with dull, gray eyes staring down him with mysterious intent through the mess of his tousled, milky white hair. A twisted smirk was coiled to his lips, almost as if enjoying what was happening before him - and he continued to stare down at him, snarling, even. It was a stare, a stare so cold and frightening it froze him to the core, not only from the way he looked at him, but because -

\- it was Komaeda.

* * *

 His eyes shot open. He was in a cold sweat. Was that a dream, he thought, as his eyes moved to his balcony, a warm summer light beating into his royal confines. It was warm and comforting, bringing his mind to peace. He'd felt like he saw something dreadful, something horrifying - but he couldn't place his finger to it. Perhaps it was simply a nightmare, nothing more nothing less. Effortlessly, the prince rose from his bed, dressed in his sleepwear, cool and silk-like to the skin. With a strained groan, his arms rose to the air as he stretched, feeling good to be standing. He glanced to a large mirror in the abode, taking a quick glance at his appearance when -

“What the…”

Dark marks encircled his throat, like deep scars - but they were never there before. Shakily, he brought his hands to his neck and pressed his index softly into the mark, but it wasn’t a bruise of any sort. In fact, it was almost like it was drawn on or simply there, like it was part of his skin. Slowly, his finger traced the markings, connecting the dots. _I’m sure you can remember where they came from._

Furrowing his brows, he concentrated, golden gaze focused on the markings. They appeared to look deep, like there was something that pressed into his neck. It could be told by the dark colour that it was the case. You’ll remember, he told himself, first, think about what could’ve done this. The only case he could think was either someone hitting him in the area, but that wouldn’t go around the neck as it appeared to be. In fact, the only conclusion he could come to was strangulation.

“Gh-!”

The prince fell to his knees, a vivid memory piercing into his mind. That’s right, that’s right - there was no way he could’ve forgotten. There was Komaeda. And he felt his hands around his neck, he saw Komaeda’s hands around his neck, in fact, a murderous intent in his eyes and a cold glare and his nails digging into…

He broke into a scream, and soon enough, Nanami came rushing into the room, the prince curled on the floor in a cold sweat. “It’s okay, Hinata-kun. It’s okay, I’m here. There’s nothing here, so you can calm down.” For however long, Nanami stayed there and repeatedly reminded him that it was going to be okay. That everything was alright. Perhaps that was all he needed - a soothing voice and a friend to help him calm down. Somehow, it’d felt like everything was falling apart, breaking at the seams, in fact - and Hinata was unsure why that was the case. Was it because he was taking Komaeda’s situation onto himself too much, bringing loads of stress? Or rather, was there some other outside force that was causing him to feel this way and see the most horrifying and perhaps most frightening things he could ever think of? It brought a shy tear to his eyes, a single tear that told him that he was scared all this time.

Like a frightened animal, he cried quietly to the sounds of Nanami’s voice.

* * *

 “I can handle his Majesty’s chores for the day. It seems like he’s not in a good mood, and I would like to take that on instead of have everyone face him. It’s for the best.”

I can see the faces they’re giving me - is she taking an interest in the prince? What a horrible way to get closer to him. What I saw through my eyes were faces of disgust or scorn, wrinkled frowns and furrowed brows glaring at me through a cold gaze. I always knew that Hinata-kun appreciated the efforts of the servants, but I suppose he never got to see firsthand what they were really like. Most of them were human, and held their own faults. As a prince, perhaps that wouldn’t be seen if they were voluntarily grovelling at your feet - it seemed to be that the only way for them to feel like they have a sense of domination was by isolating me. They didn’t know that I was only posing as a maid, but because of that, it appeared to be that I was too close to the royal family that I appeared suspicious. That’s… probably my own fault.

I reach for the porcelain teapot and open the lid, a rush of steam escaping, dancing in the air until it faded into nothing. It’d been just about enough time for the tea to brew, so by the time I get to Hinata-kun’s chamber, it should be ready. It’s not delectable, but a cup of chamomile tea would be better than nothing. Pushing the laden steel cart, I made my way to the chamber wing with brisk strides, making sure to keep my back straight and my chin tall. A quiet rap on the door, and I’m quietly pushing the cart into his room as I shut the door with caution. “Hinata-kun,” I say, “your tea is ready.” Reaching for a small porcelain cup emblazoned with small flowers of pastel pinks and yellows, I raise the teapot and watch the golden drink splash into the teacup quietly. With a small sleight of hand, I carefully flick the teapot as to immediately stop the tea, otherwise it would drip down the glass. (Just a little something I learned from personal experience.)

When I hold out the cup to him, he smiles but it fades immediately. _Right,_ I think, _this is a part of the dream he told me._ Carefully placing the teacup in his hands, I retract my own and place my palms in my lap. “You’re not dreaming anymore, so it’s alright, Hinata-kun,” I say, making sure to smile at him with kindness painting my visage. “I’ll make sure to fill you in on everything when you feel better. For now, you should finish drinking that, and then we can talk.” Pouring a cup for myself, I bring the cool porcelain to my lips, steam tickling my skin. I slowly down the tea, tasting a slight fruity flavour. It’s quite odd, knowing that chamomile is a flower, but perhaps that was something that I liked about it the most. Chamomile was especially good for calming down or soothing yourself - knowing that, I chose this tea to serve Hinata-kun. Once we were both finished, I placed the cups on the side and began to speak without hesitation.

“I think you should know what happened in the library.” The prince nodded and I made sure to not lose any eye contact with him. Staring into his ochre gaze, I continued to speak. “Her Highness, Sonia Nevermind found you unconscious on the ground, and she was the one to bring you back, actually. It was interesting to see how strong she was. Once I found her, she was breathless and was heaving you back to the castle. Perhaps she thought that the library was too dangerous to stay in - and that was a good choice, I think.”

“But… Hinata-kun, what happened? You never told me if you got attacked or simply fainted.” What I thought was that he could’ve seen something that must’ve shocked him, seeing the way he reacted to something he saw in his dreams the prior night. However, he didn’t faint, so that could’ve meant it was the worst case scenario, meaning that there must’ve been an intruder of some sort. Which made no sense, really, because there’s always guards. That would only mean that someone that was already within the royal grounds would be able to do this to him, but to narrow down a list of suspects was nearly impossible. Perhaps someone who would target the king was much more likely than a prince, knowing of their status.

It took a moment before he would respond, but to no avail. “I don’t know. I don’t remember anything.” Slowly, he raised his hand to his forehead with his brows furrowed, perhaps trying to pick out a fragment or piece of a memory he might remember. Then, I had an idea. “How about you tell me the whole story from when you went to the library? We can move on from there. Make sure to not forget the reasons why you did something… or really, anything helpful.” He nodded as he sat up straight.

“At night, I went to the library. I saw a light inside, but I thought that was weird, so I went inside to see who was in there. Sonia was sitting down and reading the same book as last time, about magic. I sat down with her, and she told me about new things she found out. I thought it was sudden that she’d be up late reading about magic, but Sonia told me that you said I was seeing Komaeda, and told her about the curse.”

“Sorry,” I apologized, “but she was persistent and I didn’t have any excuses to not tell her.” Hinata understood and nodded to me. “It’s alright.”

“After Sonia finished, I heard something fall, so I looked to where I thought the sound came from, and I think I saw someone in the library by the window. I was about to tell Sonia, but instead, I asked her where she got the book and headed in that direction… and towards the person. That’s it.”

Nodding, I processed the whole story in my mind, making sure to not forget a single detail. Firstly, he went to the library, saw a light in the library, found Sonia in the library reading, Sonia told him about magic and confessed that she knew about his affair, heard something fall, asked Sonia where she found the book, and left to walk towards the person. It sounded like a pretty solid story, but I wondered for a moment what I could pry into to see if he was forgetting anything. _Let’s see…_

“Where were you before the library? You must’ve had a reason to go to the library, I think.”

Hinata froze for a moment and looked at me like a deer in the headlights, almost frightened. “What’s wrong?”, I asked, and it broke the spell over him for a moment. It almost appeared to be that for that single moment, he was in a trance. “I… was in the forest with Komaeda. I left because it was late and passed the library.” _Okay, that sounded about right -_ I began to pour another cup of tea for myself and took a small sip, reorganizing the story to forge another question. “Why did you hide what you saw from Sonia? If you told her you saw someone, you could see who it was together.” Hinata let out a small ‘ah’, and scratched the nape of his neck.

“You remember when we went to see the Oracle, right? Someone attacked us, and they had a cape, just like the person in the town. If it was the same person, Sonia could’ve been in danger, so I didn’t say it out loud.” I nod. That was a valid reason - I wondered for a moment if I should press further about the person. Hinata wasn’t too specific on whether it was the same person, but he only said they wore a cape, just like them. Making my decision, I speak.

“Hinata-kun.”

“Yeah?”

“About the attacker in the village… what did they look like?”

“They wore a brown cape.” I nod. “And… they wore light clothes underneath. It might’ve been white or gray.” I nod again. “I think there was something in yellow or gold on their clothes. It could’ve been their town or group symbol. I think they had light skin too.” I inquire if there was anything else, but he couldn’t conjure anymore information. Nodding, I process the image of this person that he was imagining. It seemed just about right. “Okay, what about the person in the library? Try your best to remember what you can.” He nods, and I finish my tea, setting the teacup back on the rack with a bright chime.

“They wore a cape like the attacker, but I couldn’t tell what colour it was because it was too dark. When they looked at me, their hair seemed like it wasn’t too short… maybe shoulder-length. It was messy, too.”

“Do you know what colour their hair was?”

“I think it was light. I can’t say for sure, with their hood on.”

“Anything else?”

Hinata shook his head with a frown. I mumble a ‘I see’ and brush my bangs out of my way, exhaling as I tried to imagine this person. I guess asking him what they look like wouldn’t help me guess who they are, but it could be the same person. That’s when I noticed a small mistake in his testimony. “Hinata-kun - you said they looked at you, right?” He was confused, but nodded back at me in response. That was odd - very, very odd. If they turned to look at him, and he could see something so specific like their hair, then he should’ve been able to see their face. “Were they wearing a mask?”

“No… I don’t think so. Why?”

I furrow my brows and purse my lips. There it was! “Hinata-kun, there’s a hole in your testimony.”

I knew there was something wrong. Surely, Hinata would never hide something from me, but there must’ve been something that was restricting him from remembering certain things. If I just poked and prodded at those parts, picking them out one by one, we could find out about what happened. I wasn’t completely sure whether this was related to the curse, but there was a gut feeling telling me ‘yes’... I suppose.

“Testimony? This isn’t - nevermind. What’s wrong?”

“You said they turned to look at you, but you don’t remember what they looked like. However, if you couldn't see their face, that would mean their hood was up. Then, you wouldn't be able to see their hair, either. Wouldn’t that mean they pulled down their hood?”

“Yeah… you’re right. But - gh!”

Reacting quickly, I dash to Hinata and make sure he’s feeling alright. There must’ve been some sort of shock that affected him, not only one of his dream, but something else. There was something very unsettling about the person he was seeing, and his dream. They all meant something, they all connected. It just couldn’t be pieced together yet.

“We’ll figure this out, Hinata-kun. I know we will.”

 

I decided that I would take action. Though still perplexed about the whole curse matter, all I knew was that I had to tell Komaeda on my own what happened to Hinata, and that he would be recovering for awhile. To be frank, I felt bad - no, terrible, even. The fact that I would take up the responsibility of having to comfort someone else I didn't know well because I would tell them their significant other would be gone for awhile - somehow, I just feel guilty for doing such a thing. I didn't want to make him sad, but I didn’t want to make either of the two worried, either. Steeling myself, I wait until I'm off duty and follow Hinata's instructions to meet up with Komaeda.

Switching out my dainty flats for a pair of leather boots, I set out on the path Hinata laid out for me. To be honest, I had a vague idea about his 'hideout,' but I wasn't completely sure about where it was, exactly. Of course, the amount of times Kuzuryuu and Souda came back without Hinata piqued my interest, making it simple to learn of his whereabouts. Leaving the castle grounds through the servants' back entrance, a stepped through lush, green grass, the greenery softly rustling under my feet with each step. The trees whispered an occasional sough with each passing breeze, leaves furtively shuffling within. With little to no suspicion, it took no effort to make it back into the forest, the summer sun kissing my skin. Walking under large trees provided a minimal amount if shade, but otherwise not much. I was clueless for the most part, but once I found the small clearing with a formation draped in vines, I knew it was where Hinata was directing me.

I knew I shouldn't have felt so nervous, but I stepped forward with anxious steps - left, right, left, right - reaching for the vines, the rough plant snaked around my fingers as I lifted them with a shaking hand. For a moment, I thought to call out his name, but there was something horribly wrong. Approaching closer, I took stealthy steps just in case, a faint noise entering my ears.

There was someone there.

But, it sounded nothing like a man. It was a woman speaking, though I had no idea who - steadying my breath, I tiptoed closer to the other side as quietly as I could -

"There's an anomaly. You know that's your fault, right? You made a fatal mistake."

Breathing still, I waited. I was waiting to hear another voice, but nothing happened. Instead, it became so silent that I froze, heart pounding, blood rushing. _If I make a single sound, I'll be found out._

The sounds of steps approached.

* * *

 It wasn't until the next morning that the princess suggested the idea, though how abrupt it was turned out to be quite perplexing for the prince - despite that, he'd accepted. "I suggest that we call on the other youths," she declared, "in order to prepare for the end of summer. This way, those who haven't introduced themselves can get the chance to. We can not only bond, but prepare. Do you believe that's a good idea?" Feeling himself sink into the plush velvet seats of the quarter seats, a sigh escaped his lips. Not out of disappointment or disinterest, but he was rather relieved that someone was taking the step to do something entertaining especially after everything that happened recently. The oracle’s predictions, the attacks, his nightmare…

Even now, he was still unable to visit Komaeda. There was something that shook him inside out that was preventing him from going. Hinata knew it was now his duty to help him - he loved him, but he was frightened to the core. Though convinced it was a dream, he had a gut feeling that it was much more than just a dream. It meant something, and it scared him. _Hopefully it wasn’t wrong to feel scared._

“Yeah. That would mean me, you… most chances, we should be calling Saionji in, as well. Souda would also be useful, too…”

“What about Enoshima-san?”

The name sent him into a jolt.

“Do we have to?”, he blurted, immediately covering his mouth after speaking. That wasn’t anything a prince should ever say, or even think about - especially of another kingdom’s duchess. He was ashamed, but he knew for sure that he spoke his true feelings. Surely, Enoshima didn’t have a bad personality, but she invaded his personal space the moment he met her. In fact, it seemed like she knew too much that it made him uncomfortable. “Excuse me,” he coughed, “I mean I’d prefer if we didn’t have to,” Hinata corrected, clearing his voice. _At least sound professional, you idiot._

In the end, along with some giggles, the duo was able to decide on a date for their group gathering. By the end of summer, there was usually a summer festival held in one of the towns, this year being in Kibougamine. Nevertheless, all of the participating kingdoms gathered and planned this event not to only entertain the people, but to strengthen the bonds between the kingdoms. The most important part of ruling a kingdom was the relationship to other existing ones - after all, a kingdom becomes stronger if others join together to form a large alliance. Typically, the rulers would be the one to cordially invite the towns, while anyone lower would assist in planning and preparing for the festival. Princes and princesses such as Hinata or Sonia weren’t required to help, but perhaps the two were considered future rulers so noble, always willing to help the kingdom by their own will.

However, the only problem was Jabberwock.

There was no indication they would be participating at all, so the idea of even inviting Enoshima was rather absurd. The princess, known as ‘Ikusaba,’ also appeared to have no interest - in fact, Hinata had never met the girl. Jabberwock’s workings perplexed him so far to the fact that he never got to meet the future ruler. Regardless, sending out invitations to have a meeting the next week were prepared and sent. Until that day, Sonia would return to her kingdom and wait until it was time to return with Saionji.

* * *

 

Something appeared before me - a swan.

It was quietly stepping out of the cave as it glanced back to me - as if I was in a trance, I followed, rushing through hazy vines and hearing the footsteps chase after me. However, I placed my trust in the swan. It wasn’t anything ordinary, that’s what I knew for sure. It went into the cave, knowing I was there. With furtive steps, I followed it until we were far from the clearing, deep within the forest. I have no idea how long I was following the swan, but there was a good feeling that I shouldn’t stop.

Slowly, a building came into my vision. Deep in the forest, a wooden hut lay, covered in an absurd amount of greenery. It however, still appeared livable. The swan flew in through the open window and landed atop a bed inside. Cautiously, I opened the door and peered inside, to find a rather swell living space, decorated with flowers. To my right was a small bed, fit for a single person. A plush pillow and a golden blanket adorned the mattress, and the swan slowly slunk down into the cushion-y sheets. On the opposite side, there were cabinets galore, perhaps to store food or something important. _Make sure not to touch that._

Closing the door, I approached the swan, silent, taking a seat on the bed, slowly sinking into the mattress. It was rather soft - in fact, perhaps softer than the beds in the servants’ quarters back in the castle. “Thank you for taking me here,” I whisper, “I didn’t know what to do when I heard people. I was looking for Komaeda… is this his home?”  
I giggle when I see that the swan can’t exactly answer. Well, I wasn’t expecting much, I suppose - glancing to the open window, I notice that the sun was slowly leaving, the sky turning into a coral pink. _It’s beautiful,_ I contemplate, dazing into the sunset sky. Suddenly, a burst of light takes me by surprise, and I turn to see the swan disappear into the light, and -

“Ah, you were that swan? I didn't know…”

Pale-faced, gray eyes, cloudy white hair. I took a look over his appearance, appearing rather angelic in contrast to anyone I’d ever seen before. “I know about the curse, but I didn’t know if it was you for sure,” I comment, setting my hands to my sides.

“It’s alright, Nanami-san. I believe the clearing isn't the safest spot these days.”

“Oh?”

“I don’t know who it is, but sometimes people appear there. I've been lucky to miss them every time, but it seems like they might be looking for something. It’s highly likely it’s me, since they’re there…”

“I heard a woman,” I say, nodding to myself. The voice was vaguely familiar, but I couldn't put a name to it. Perhaps it was someone I’d met before, but didn't remember - or just someone I didn’t like a lot. One or the latter. “Really? I’ve never heard or seen them. But… if you want to see me, please avoid entering the clearing. If anything, you should head down the same path and I’ll find you again.” Quietly nodding, I remember what I came here for.

“Ah, Komaeda-kun. I’m here for a reason, though?”

“Hm? Can you explain?”

“You see…”

* * *

 

A wooden carriage rolls into the front courtyards once more. Stepping out first is Sonia Nevermind, princess of Novoselic. Flashing her a smile, she does the same back as she heads up the steps to the castle doors. “Hey!”

_Oh, here we go._

Clad in a bright orange sundress, the young girl stomped out of the carriage with puffed-up cheeks. Making her presence very obvious with exaggerated stomps, she clattered up the castle steps with absolutely no grace, anger drawn on her face. “Hinataaa…” With perhaps all the power she could muster, a heavy blow to the shin was promptly handed to Hinata as he keeled over with a groan. “Gh - I know you’re angry, Saionji!” Instead of apologizing, the girl simply folded her arms and flicked her head to the side, harrumphing.

“Saionji-san… perhaps kicking the prince in front of his guards is not the fondest idea,” Sonia said, noticing that some heads were turned from Hinata’s sudden outburst. Of course, Hinata could only smile and laugh. It was his fault - he never took enough time to contact Saionji, and it seemed to be that she was quite desperate to see him (not that she would admit it.)

“Saionji-chan, you can’t go around kicking people like that.”

An unfamiliar voice spoke, and Hinata turned his head to see a crimson-haired woman shoot a fiery glare at Saionji. Donning a forest green chiffon dress, it swayed as she stood straight and bowed to Hinata, her anger promptly subsiding. "I'm sorry, your Majesty. It appears my mistress has been rude to you." He simply nodded as she looked up to him, and could immediately find her brows furrowed, lips in a fine line. "Honestly, I'm trying to apologize properly, so you should forgive us the same way."  
Hinata awkwardly chuckled as he reworded his response until the woman was satisfied. "That's good enough. My name is Koizumi Mahiru. I work under Mistress Saionji Hiyoko as her personal maid."

"Mahiruuu, you don't have to call yourself that anymore. We're friends now, right?"

Saionji immediately responded to Koizumi's introduction with a huff, and Hinata could see a relieved expression on the woman's visage. Perhaps they really were so close that their rank had no meaning anymore. Though that was something to scorn and shame, it looked beautiful in Hinata's eyes. What he saw was two people who crossed a barrier that people commonly never cross, mostly out of fear. Perhaps it was a sort of unspoken mutual connection that brought the two to this point.  
"Then, shall we get started? I believe Kuzuryuu and Souda will join us later tonight."

Nodding, the group headed into the castle together to discuss within the royal lounge.

For the rest of the day, it was Hinata, Sonia, Saionji, Koizumi, and eventually Nanami that all banded together to plan for the festival. There were booth ideas, food to be served, and which entertainers could be paid to do the job. Midway through, they were met with a peculiar person that both Hinata and Nanami recognized. Walking into the royal lounge was the same lady who took the duo to see the king awhile back after a certain 'magic show' in the village. Curly pink tips bounced with her every step, and she appeared somewhat surprised as she approached the group. "We have so many guests today," she chimed in a singsong manner, grinning at them all. They were rather confused until she finally remembered to introduce herself.

"I go by Monomi, " she started, "and I came fwom Jabberwock to work for the king. Wight now, I'm the head maid." God, the accent really threw everyone off - praying to the deities above, Hinata hoped that nobody else spoke like that in Jabberwock. "If I may, am I allowed to join?"

Finishing the planning with Monomi turned to be a breeze - she was exceptionally good at understanding the thoughts of citizens and knowing what was 'in' or appealing. Even offering to pass on the plans to the king, they were all rather baffled at the fact that it took so little to plan it all. Of course, there were still small details left, but that could be left to tomorrow. It was already dark out, and Hinata noticed that as he looked out the large glass windows from the interior. It was a starry night sky, the exact same he'd seen many times with Komaeda - but even now, it was still a bit of a challenge to think about him without becoming anxious.

“So, we’re done here? I’ll make sure ta talk with the crew of what to do,” Souda moans, stretching his arms outwards, swaying side to side until he bumped into Kuzuryuu’s shoulder - in which the boy promptly shoved him away, the two resulting into a fight. When they finally calmed down, Hinata stood up, the eyes of his friends gazing up to him.

"Nanami, I'll be heading to my room. Can you bring everyone to the chamber wing and lead them to their rooms?"

The exit was prompt, and Hinata found himself back in bed. With a flop, he fell into the mattress, feathery soft. Slowly, he was drawn to light sleep, when a while later -

 

“Hinata! Hina-”

The sudden yell shocked him, when he saw a familiar face burst into his chamber. It was Saionji, breathless, her floral orange dress in a mess. In fact, one of the ribbons were going loose, but her muddled attire was clearly of no importance. Her expression told him the whole story - it read distress, and he stood up immediately. “Tell me on the way.”

They were running - though it was hard for Saionji, as she had to grab onto the layers of her dress continually, constantly tripping over the fabric. “Mahiru… I found Mahiru in front of the castle. I don’t know what happened, I don’t know! I don’t think anyone other than us know, and I didn’t know who to tell, and I found myself here -”

“Calm down, Saionji.”

“I know! I know, but -”

He could see her eyes, glossed over.

The girl led the prince out into the front yards, where he also saw everyone else. Souda. Kuzuryuu. Sonia. Nanami. Usami, even. They were all gathered sorrowfully, the boys appearing solemn. Even Sonia, who was so composed, appeared distressed. "Is she alright?" Hinata asked, approaching Nanami and Sonia, Saionji blankly staring at the ground by his side. "I'm not entirely sure," Nanami responded, "but she's breathing."

"Then...?"

"She's alive. Her body is cold, though."

That was odd - breathing, still showing signs of life, yet cold as a lifeless body, yet. That's when it struck him - it was magic. Not a curse or a spell in her, though. Someone who would know for sure, that was...

"Sonia."

The princess looked to him, her fair skin looking to be pale, showing signs of stress. "Yes, Hinata-san... what is it?" Shaking his head, he looked at Sonia with a frown. "You know what it is. I know you do, and that's why you're so worried." She didn't respond, but looked away from him, her ocean-like oculars gazing towards Nanami. So she did know.

"I think we should talk somewhere else," Nanami stated, the princess agreeing.

The trio left the front yard, instructing Kuzuryuu and Souda to contact the guards to make sure no one left, and the nurses to tend to Koizumi. Hopefully, she would turn out alright in the end. These prayers in the minds of the three, they left behind the heavy atmosphere in the front yard as they broke into the bright palace lobby. Their shoes quietly tapping against white marble, the sound echoed within the large room. They took a seat among a small area by the side lined with royal red cushioned chairs, every piece of furniture shining a regal gold. The palace interiors were rather spacy and gaudy, with large blood soaked curtains lining the windows and large, ornate burgundy doors leading deeper into the castle. However, Nanami stood straight and bowed to the two with a kind smile, standing straight with her hands folded over her apron. "Prince Hinata Hajime, Princess Sonia Nevermind, please allow me to brew a fresh pot of tea," she stated. Nodding, they let Nanami head off into the servants' corridors, who scurried away with dainty footsteps. For a moment, he'd wondered why she'd went right into her servant mode, but then he felt it.

It felt like something was watching them.

He didn't know if Sonia felt it, but there was something unnerving him, a heavy atmosphere weighing over him. It was a darkness that was looming, a shadow that watched him in silence. Perhaps Nanami felt it, so she made sure never to let her guard down and continue to keep up her cover - the more he thought about it, it seemed to be that it was the case. Nanami was very perceptive, and must've seen it before him or Sonia did.

Turning to Sonia, he noticed the princess regained her posture in no time, a regal aura emanating from her once again. Her lips drawn into a frown, fair face just partly disturbed, perhaps from the tension. "I didn't think that we would see it before us," she started, Hinata looking to the princess, concentrated, "but it seems that we can easily diagnose what that was. However, you know that it means that it is easily one of us. And that… is what I feared most."

 

Nodding in agreement, Hinata spoke the word, his voice shaking, for the moment that they declared this situation was the one mentioned earlier, the situation would change drastically. The amount of suspects would narrow.

He knew what it was. _The word escaped his lips -_

 

* * *

 

 

 

“Don’t leave me.”

 

“Don’t leave me alone.”

 

“Please… don’t.”

 

 

 

“Hinata-kun…”

 

I choke on my tears as I stare down at him, eyes glossed, warm tears falling to his cheeks. Please open your eyes.

 

 


	8. Chapter 8

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> yes, i'm just as hype as you are (apologizes)

I clasp onto his hand; strong yet soft-skinned hand entwining its fingers between my own, like vines coiling around my fingers.

"Hinata-kun," I murmur, not to call him, but to simply call out his name. Every time his name left my lips, it felt like magic; a word that cast a spell with each recital. Hinata-kun, Hinata-kun, Hinata-kun. The more I called his name—hoarse susurrus escaping my chords—I fell deeper in love. I wanted to call that name forever.

"What is it?", is the response that echoes back at me, and I only giggle and grasp onto his hand firmly. "I like saying your name," I answer, my lips curling into a sheepish grin. With a playful shove, the prince's cheeks flushed as he retaliated, laughing. "Stop that, it's embarrassing." Immediately following his orders, I gaze into the small pond at our feet; pristine surface glassy and ethereal, reflecting the warm sunset sky's hues. Quietly slipping out of my leather boots, my toes touch upon the glass like surface, the water rippling with grace.

"I love you." The words escape my lips, meaning to escape as they'd been trapped like a bird in a cage. By this time, my feet are quietly wading in the water, my vision fixated on how the water would ripple and dance around my ankles. Hinata reached over to my shoulder, placing a soft palm to my shoulders. My hand felt suddenly empty without his, and I immediately reached up to place my hand upon his dorsal. "What's wrong?", I ask, noticing his golden optics looking at mine with a dazzle—perhaps hope shining in his eyes. At least, that was what I envisioned it to be. "Are you expecting something?"

The conversation ends with a kiss.

* * *

 

"Dormitus."

The word fell from his lips like rain falling to the earth, like the passing of rain. Yes, there was nothing else it could be. Koizumi's symptoms matched up, and there was nothing else it could be ruled off as. However, he knew that this changed everything - after all, the recursing was only received if there was a witch nearby that had used their magic for harm.

"Me, you, Nanami, Souda, Kuzuryuu, Saionji, and Monomi are the only ones who interacted with Koizumi. The servants weren't allowed to see us except for Nanami, and there are no events happening today." When Hinata spoke, a dead weight dropped on his shoulders.

"Yes," Sonia replies, "it is one of us."

Though he knew what she was going to say, it was as if something was weighing him down, an outer force that was tugging him to the ground. His heart weighed down like sandbags were tied and knotted to his chest. _I don't want this to be true,_ he pleaded silently, perhaps in a prayer to wake up and realize that it was a dream. His goal was to find the witch, but it wasn't to find that one of his friends was someone willing to ruin another's life. Are any of my friends actually like that?

Despite the dilemma, he knew he didn't have the time to worry about whether his friends were good or not. _From this point on there's no looking back,_ he told himself, though he didn't want to admit it. Never in his life had he imagined he would end up in a situation where he would have to determine the guiltiness of his friends—heavy in his heart, he spoke up, throat dry. "I don't want to do this," he declared bravely, steeling his feelings and locking them away as not to fall apart, "but we need to find out who it is. Even if it's one of us."

The princess' eyes widened, perhaps surprised as she looked to him with large turquoise oculars, but she slowly closed her eyelids with grace as a dainty smile blessed rosy lips. "You are right, Hinata-san," she concurred brightly, as if she’d stumbled upon a realization. "I almost thought for a moment that it would be wrong to suspect our friends, but even they would say it is unfair to do so. I am ashamed that I would think about ignoring them." Though her comment was of guilt, there was a sweet smile that painted her pinkish lips, almost as if to make an attempt to show a sense of irony. _That's right,_ Hinata thought, _there's no reason to cover up for our friends. We don't want safety, but the truth._

"By the way, Hinata-san?"

Sonia chirped for a second, facing to Hinata with parted lips and curious, sky blue optics. "Where did you find that sort of resolve? Even some of the former rulers of Novoselic were unable to understand that justice and truth were the top priority, and many crimes go unseen in many kingdoms because of this selfish behaviour. Your sense of justice is amazing." Hinata only smiled to her words—he knew who taught him that—he didn't find the resolve himself, but was shown the way by a close friend.

"A good friend of mine. "

* * *

 

They instructed the others to simply stay the night and leave in the morning. Sonia thought of keeping everyone in the castle so that less people would be affected, but Hinata knew that wasn't the right thing to do. He had the right to doubt his friends, but he had no right to hold them captive. The next day, he told Sonia that they would go back to the royal library and then let everyone set for home. Sonia would return with Koizumi in the evening, except Hinata offered to go with them. They immediately sent a messenger to request medical efforts back in the Novoselic palace, and they would continue their research efforts there. It would benefit greatly—compared to Kibougamine, Novoselic held more medical information than the latter.

Morning quickly approached, and breakfast was had altogether. Surprisingly, they were all chipper despite the circumstances—perhaps it was because they knew that the culprit would be found in the end. Immediately after breakfast, Saionji took a carriage back to Novoselic on her own, and Souda and Kuzuryuu returned to their homes in the village. All that was left was Koizumi who was being tended to by Nanami and Monomi in the infirmary, and Hinata and Sonia who set out for the library. What they asked to learn of was more about Dormitus with the following questions in mind:

1\. Is there a cure?

2\. If so, what is the cure?

3\. If there is no cure that is known of, then what are possibilities that would work?

4\. How did Dormitus start?

It was a very curious set of questions that made Hinata wondered why witchcraft had to become such a problem. If magic wasn't used for sorts of sins, then would witchcraft be praised to this day? For example, if the first witch who casted a curse never did so, then there would be no knowledge of curses. In fact, curses would most likely never exist, as no one would think that witchcraft could be used for evil. Most likely, if witchcraft used no curses until now, even a malicious person who requested one would receive a raise of the eyebrow and no refund. I wonder why humanity is this way, the prince pondered to himself as he stepped along a paved stone road that led to the library, slightly dusty.

Upon arriving in the building, the pair practically made a dash for the area filled wall to wall with books in the supernatural and occult world. Grabbing ahold of as many books that showed some sort of relation to their research (including the one book they often read), absurdly thick books were stacked upon the wooden tabletop of one of the facility's tables made of a burgundy wood. Once they'd pulled out as many books as they could, the duo eyed the immense amount of literature before them. "Should we start by looking at the table of contents for each?", Sonia inquired, picking up a leather bound book with glistening eyes. Hinata simply agreed, and they set out to sort out the books that had no relation to their research.

Sorting out the books that were of no interest to them, they were eventually left with a moderately large pile, much more doable than the mountain of books they'd created earlier. Taking furtive steps to a seat, he picked up a random book within the pile and plopped himself into the seat, opening the book. "The history of witchcraft," he recites in a monotone. However, he already knew quite a bit on the subject—quickly flipping to the table of contents, he scanned the list for anything helpful. It was to no avail, however - it seemed as if there was nothing new in the book, so he set out aside. Hinata and Sonia continued this process until they landed a small selection of books that would answer their questions. So, it begun.

1\. Is there a cure?

Dormitus, surprisingly, is a very big subject in witchcraft. The most likely reason for that was because there was a large people affected by it in the past. Despite the fact that it was such a famous curse contracted from recursing, there was no cure found. The only way that has been theorized is to have someone make a wish to make it disappear, but it has not been attempted. This is due to the fact that it is hard to find a witch to come in contact with, and many people will not take the risk of potentially contracting it themselves, depending on what wishes the witch casted beforehand. The paranoia has always stuck in mortals, but another reason it hasn’t been attempted is because it may be unlikely. (Refer to wishes and curses.)

2\. If so, what is the cure?

That cannot be answered.

3\. If there is no cure that is known of, then what are possibilities that would work?

One, make an attempt to wish it away. However, it may not work. A way still needs to be found.

4\. How did Dormitus start?

Dormitus started a long time in the past, so far that there are no records on an exact time. Witchcraft has existed for centuries, and is perhaps one of the sole reasons that the world has come to be what it is today. If there was no witchcraft, then the world may still be left in its primitive state. There is no specific story on how it first occurred, but it is most likely that a witch performed a curse and accidentally harmed another unintentionally without knowing of the effects. This would lead on to humanity learning that curses have side effects, therefore supporting this theory.

And, as a 1a, why hasn’t anyone attempted this wish?

1a. Other than the fact that it is potentially dangerous, it is a known fact that magic used for evil is commonly stronger than magic to do good. To continue on, the caster requires a large amount of resolve to fight against the effect of a recursing, which needs an immense amount to dent the side effects. Overall, it is unlikely that Dormitus can simply be wished away, unless its caster has an intense desire to break it, and magic potential that favours good.

Hinata shut the final book with a heaving sigh. They both skimmed through what they could, and the result of their research was that there was no cure. They couldn’t help Koizumi other than watch over her lifeless body and wait it out. The questions and problems piled up, and none of them got resolved. Perhaps that’s what it’s like to be King, Hinata wondered, thinking about his father for a brief moment. His father was no revolutionary figure for the kingdom versus his predecessors, a man that only held the name as King for awhile. He was not the best or worst, but rather inbetween, maintaining peace to an acceptable level. When he thought about it, perhaps his father’s job was much harder than he would think of it to be—for most of his life, he never respected his father as much as his mother wanted to. The reason was because he never saw his father commend the efforts of other civilians or make an effort to show himself as not only their King, but as a friend.

After discussing, they’d realized that it was past noon judging by the sun’s location—it was no longer at its highest point in the sky anymore, but beginning to pass by them. “Sonia, I think we should get ready to take Koizumi back. They’re probably helping her out of the castle already.” The princess did not respond but rather nodded, heading back to the castle grounds with the princess. They walked rather quietly through the royal pathway, tamed shrubs lining the path in an emerald green. The princess only took momentary gazes towards the shrubbery with a smile, allowing herself a moment to at least appreciate the greenery despite the predicament they were in. Perhaps the small, simplest happinesses were keeping her calm. It was a quick walk towards the castle entrance, a wooden carriage parked on the stone pathway. The carriage was much larger than the usual, draped in bloody velvet curtains to hide who would reside inside—and perhaps they needed to hide the fact that there was going to be a half-dead person in there. Hinata dove for the carriage to check if Koizumi was already settled—there was a small mattress that she lay upon, draped in a warm, cloudy-white blanket, her head resting on a plush cushion. He sighed as he looked to Sonia who broke into long strides to check on Koizumi as well. She seemed to be alright, but in no better condition. “You already packed everything, right?”, Hinata inquired, the princess confirming that her luggage was packed with the carriage as well. They quickly climbed in, and they could hear the sounds of reins cracking, a whinny—and there the carriage began to roll across the pavement.

The atmosphere within the carriage was uneasy; the royal duo sat with heavy hearts as it began to enter the town, carriage riding smoothly until the sounds of the civilians bustling disappeared. They would most likely arrive in Novoselic by night - knowing that, he let his head lean to the side, deciding to take a rest. “Sorry, Sonia. Wake me up if you need anything,” he commented, the princess smiling to him as he fell into a deep sleep.

* * *

 

Tears continuously stream down my cheeks as I grasp onto his hands, soft yet cold as ice. "No," I whimper, "no, don't leave me all alone..." His eyelids open to my response, beautiful ochre oculars gazing to me groggily. "What's wrong?"

"Everything's wrong!"

How dense could he be? I was scared. I didn't know what to do, I was fearful. His chest was stained a royal red, as red as the sunset sky we would witness every night. As red as the colour of roses, the colour that the world around me was resolving to. All I could see before me was a deep, endless red, a red of anger, of tears, of confusion. "Why? Why would you do this? I thought you said," my throat suddenly contracted and I choked on my own tears, "you said you would break the curse. Why would you do this? I know that you probably didn't want to help me as much as you declared, but this is too much—"

"Of course... I wanted to help you."

"Huh...?"

"The curse," he coughed, the remainder of his sentence lost.

My grip tightens. "No! It's not you, and you... you know that... and even so..." I was powerless. Hinata was going to die at this rate - there was nothing I could do about it. Swallowing my tears, I pressed my lips to his, bloodstained and chapped.

"I love you, Hinata-kun... never forget that, please..." Though I'd put so much work to not break down, I couldn't help this. This wasn't how it was supposed to happen. Something... something other than this was the truth.

And we hadn't found it.

 

 

"I..."

 

"I know you're there. "

 

 

* * *

 

He felt something poke his shoulder - a groan escaped his chords as his eyes fluttered open, seeing the princess bent over, wide, deep blue oculars staring at him in anticipation. She exhaled a smile as she sat straight, her eyes momentarily looking to Koizumi who still hadn’t moved an inch. Her complexion was rather pale at this point—something to be worried about—and as Hinata touched her skin, it was still frozen. “We’re here, Hinata-san. I’ll escort you to the guest wing, and the servants will bring Koizumi into our medical facilities.” Remembering her instructions, he stepped out after the princess, a towering brick castle looming over him. Towers were topped with emerald caps, the metal shingles displaying deep, royal green hues. Hinata had never personally gone to the Novoselic castle but was only in the region before—seeing the castle compared to Kibougamine’s made his home feel small. The royal castle of Novoselic was much more grand, much more regal, versus the homely atmosphere that the Kibougamine castle emanated. _Amazing,_ was all he could think as he followed the princess into the castle. The interior was something you could call distinguished. Shining marble floors lined every section of the castle, every corner cleaned to the smallest specks of dust. White lights hanging off of golden chandeliers, what appeared to be diamonds hanging from the light fixtures allowed light to shine through the gems, a beautiful flurry of lights that appeared to dance before your eyes. The walls were lined with a creamy wallpaper, light golden designs printed onto the paper. Large glass windows were dressed with deep, hunter green velvet, golden lining following the fabric’s edges. In short—a place so amazingly bountiful of regal design that perhaps no human could ever imagine living in such a place.

The Novoselic princess giggled sweetly as she examined the prince's reaction, witnessing his awe-inspired gape. During his moment of bliss, the princess was able to drag him away until they reached the guest wing, quickly setting him up for the night. "Hinata-san, you should rest for tonight. Staying up late isn't good for your health." With that, the princess resigned for the night, leaving the youthful prince to him and his thoughts. Of course, the prince was exhausted and took no time to fall into a sweet dream, envisioning himself in Komaeda's arms. For once, his dreams were kind to him.

* * *

 

His eyes fluttered open to see Komaeda lying next to him, his tousled hairstyle gently covering his pale complexion. He was half asleep, unable to process as to why the boy was here. It's alright, Hinata told himself, this is not like the dream. However, he still felt hesitant to approach him, to even bear to look at him—even if it was a dream, it was much to real to simply leave it as that. His hand wanted to shake and he wanted to back away from him yet at the same time pull him into an embrace; but as he steeled himself, he made multiple attempts to tell himself that he would be okay. That it was simply a nightmare; the self reassurance helped him as he carefully raised his hand into a soft cloud of hair, softly moving silken strands from his visage. He could spot light eyelashes draped over his eyelids, the tender expression causing the prince to find his serene rest so endearing; like a small animal at rest, his breaths delicate and fleetingly beautiful. Simply his appearance alone—it shook his heart. What he felt in that single moment was the ephemeral emotion that embraced him in the climax of each moment with him. At this point, he felt ashamed that he was still partially afraid to approach him, but he knew that there was no time to sit back, fearful. It would get him nowhere.

Leaning forward, the prince gently pressed his lips to Komaeda's pale cheek until he heard a groan escape from him. Komaeda stirred awake, cloudy hues gazing tiredly at him. "Hinata-kun..."

That's when he sat up immediately, an apparent shock read on his widened stare. "Ah, I fell asleep by accident—the trip here was quite long, and I found you asleep, so..." That's when Hinata realized this wasn't a dream; he was in the Novoselic castle, after all, but—

"Wait, did you fly all the way to Novoselic? Why would you do that?"

"Nanami-san wanted me to tell you something important."

He inhaled, exhaled; surely, told by furrowed brows and an evident frown, there was something important that he had to say. Even more, something so crucial that he had to come here on his own. "In this town, there is a witch. This witch is known for using magic for relatively good things, mostly healing. It's rather surprising to see magic done for good, and Nanami told me that you could learn something from her." The information was quite tempting—how did Nanami know such a thing was what he wondered, but there was no time to fret on petty details.

"Komaeda, tell me where it is. You can stay here for now, and I'll go with Sonia."

Though he made an attempt to crawl out of bed, a hand gripped longingly to his wrist, noticing Komaeda gazing to him endearingly. His lips were shaped into a soft moue as to speak, a somber pair of optics pleading to speak with him. "Wait," he called, his fingers unlacing from his wrist. "I wanted to ask about that dream, if you're alright with that. Not only that, but..." Shifting ever so slowly to the other, his arms extended to pull him into a tender embrace, the prince feeling the boy's body heat mix with his own. "It’s been a long time since we’ve seen each other, you know."

With a curve of the lips, he shifted away from the prince modestly, his cheeks rosy. His somber gaze was glossy, like a sheet of tears carefully painted over his eyes. It was then the prince came to the revelation that he truly missed him, the scent of dewdrops separating from him as the other inched away; the scent was one that enticed him to pull him back into a loving embrace and hope to be forgiven for his suspicion, perhaps his own way of obtaining absolution. With a shaking hand, his palm gripped onto his sleeve, silky satin brushing his skin, a ticklish sensation resolving from the action. “Sorry, Komaeda. I just…” About to apologize, heavy-hearted, the brunet stopped in his tracks. He couldn’t bring himself to apologize to the other—there was no excuse for doubting Komaeda’s whole being. All he could do was hope that he could be forgiven by him.

Mustering up what courage he had left, his arms extended out to yank the boy into another embrace, gripping onto him like a child to his mother. There was the feeling of desire to never let him go— _never again._ The feeling of guilt wasn’t something he could live with.

“Are you crying?”

“...there, there. You shouldn’t cry over something like this, you know. There are more important things to cry about.”

Embarrassingly enough, he fell into Komaeda’s arms, silently sobbing. Tears glistened as they rolled down dusted cheeks, glass beads slowly dripping from his eyes.

* * *

 

They took no time to relay the information to Sonia and at the same time, allow Komaeda to interact with her. Surely enough, he knew much about the princess of Novoselic, the prince noticing his eyes sparkle and glimmer as he spoke to the blonde. The swan already had a route to the witch's abode, which led them to entering the town. Unlike in Kibougamine, Sonia allowed herself to show her face in public, her bright features embellished with a smile, waving to citizens who greeted her formally, each and every civilian appreciating her visit. Hinata could only stare in awe at the trust and close relationship she held with her kingdom. Why was it that his father instructed him to keep his identity secret outside the castle grounds, when he was witnessing a safe encounter for the princess? Was there something different about his kingdom that would warrant him to stay undercover in case someone targeted him but was it really that way? He couldn't believe how well it was going for the princess; there wasn't a single person who even attempted to touch her. They were respectful from the way they walked to the way they spoke to their future leader.

Baffled, the prince followed suit.

What they found was a quaint doctor's office—a rather odd place for a witch to be. Hinata imagined it to be closer to the home of the Oracle back in his kingdom, but the wooden building lined with rows of pastel blooms made the prince feel quite invited; in fact, maybe a little close to comfort. It was the sense of acceptance he felt that was offsetting—in what world would a mildly suspicious witch doctor tend to petunias without keeping cover? Was it, perhaps, that Novoselic was accepting of witches? The thought rang in his mind, the realization that discriminatory action taken upon witches was... useless.

"Your Highness, I'll knock instead. It would be no good if you hurt yourself over trying to help someone like me," Komaeda offered politely, though Sonia was a little irked by his self depreciating comment, but had no words to say about it. She simply bit her lip and stood behind the boy, tugging on her cloak. "Yes, please go ahead, Komaeda-san. However, you are allowed to call me Sonia." With a silent nod, he obeyed the princess' words, mumbling 'Sonia-san' before reaching for the knocker attached to the door. A quick rap or two called upon light footsteps approaching from the interior, the door creaking open. What they witnessed was a busty woman standing at the doorstep, blush locks falling onto her shoulders. Blue jewels hid behind fluttering eyelashes, a strong glower pointed towards them before they sunk into a softer, more amicable expression.

"Enoshima Junko," the prince breathes, name strangling out of his lips. His throat enclosed on itself as her presence came into view, an oppressive darkness sinking into his gut. Her visage breaks into a bright, energetic expression as she beams to the brunet. "Hinata! You came to see me? Your Highness, I'm so honoured! I thought you'd forgot about our lovely midnight romance!" It took no time for Komaeda to glance at the prince, an emotionless glare telling him, _I'll talk to you about this later._

"What is the duchess of Jabberwock doing here?", Komaeda commented rather curtly, unamused by the woman's boisterous personality and perhaps, the way she casually staked her claim on the boy. For a moment, rosy lips slipping into a moue before bursting into a grin once more. "Are you disappointed that I'm not who you're looking for, Komaeda Nagito? Well, I'm glad we at least know each other." Her uttering of his name caught him off guard; when did she learn about him, and who told her? Holding his ground, his hands crumpled into messy fists, every part of his resolve unfaltering.

"Is the doctor available?"

"Oh, you mean her? Yeah, I'm pretty much done, so you can go in." Stepping out of the building, the other two proceeded into the office until the woman grabbed onto the prince's shoulder, chastely kissing his cheek. "Good luck, little prince."

With that, she left.

* * *

 

Nobody came to greet them—was Enoshima lying? It could've been that the doctor was out and would come back soon; however, the silence was unsettling. It was like a lump of lead was setting itself in his stomach—the feeling that he would get when his intuition told him that nothing good would come. Or was it the presence of magic lingering in the premises? Discussing with the others, they quickly decided to investigate the building. If the doctor wasn't in, then the patient would be. Komaeda went to check the back room, and Sonia checked an examination room on the side as Hinata wandered around the waiting room. There was nothing notable—a line of wooden chairs was laid across the wall, and flower pots filled the room. There was a faint scent of something bitter, but not something very important—it was most likely medicines and other ingredients. After the passing of some time, the duo both retreated to the waiting room, but Hinata wanted to observe the other rooms. Though his heart was oddly heavy, he steeled his resolve to wander, stepping into the examination room. There was nothing out of place; a white bed lay beside the window, and cupboards full of ingredients and other materials lined the walls. Jars were labeled in a language or perhaps gibberish that the prince couldn't read, the labels taped on and scribbled in ink. It took a moment for the princess to reappear, entering the room with effortless grace. "Hinata-san? What's wrong?"

Reaching for a random jar, he examined its contents, observing a dark blue liquid that seemed to be shining. A mix of purple and other dark hues were shimmering, looking like that of a midnight sky. "Ah! Is that a _Jar of Stars,_ perhaps?" Confused, Hinata passed the container to the princess who was mesmerized by the mix of colours. "It's a lethal poison. In Novoselic, it's well known because there are children's stories about it. They say that if you successfully ingest it, then your deepest desires will come true! It's a lovely story!" The fact that Sonia was a walking textbook amazed him each time. However, why was such a lethal substance so romanticized? Was the writer trying to convince people to kill themselves, or was there some other meaning behind it? Tossing the thoughts aside, he gingerly placed the jar back where it was. What he found strange amongst the ingredients was a jar of pink strands. Nudging the jar to Sonia, she examined it but it yielded nothing. "I don't think it's anything I know of, but it looks like hair to me. Perhaps someone else's?"

There was no use looking any further—perhaps the answer would come eventually. However; when he stared at the contents, his stomach felt unsettled. "Sonia, I'll check the back room." The princess nodded in understanding as they both left, the blonde going to talk with the other. The moment he was alone, his body grew heavy—his feet were glued to the floor. There was something wrong here—he repeated Nanami's advice in his mind once more. _It's alright to doubt your friends._ Reminding himself of that, his ochre orbs gazed to Komaeda and Sonia. The boy himself was an enigma on its own, but that alone could leave a mystery that could put him in danger. Sonia was a cooperative leader, but her endless fountain of knowledge could be something she could use against him; that alone would be dangerous. Then there was himself.

_"Isn't the most likely person to be the witch you?"_

He was left in an odd situation with the duo, and his intuition was telling him that nothing good would happen. It was the same darkness that enveloped him on the night of the party, the very same when he was experiencing his nightmare. Hinata felt guilty for sending Sonia away to think in peace, but he didn't want to tell her about his suspicions. "I'll be back," he called out, stepping forward with a heavy heart. There was something strange going on, and the unsettling sensation made him want to run away.

Briskly striding to the storage room, the door opened to darkness and the room lined with boxes—

 

 

 

 

_—and a **body** on the floor._

 

 

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> Also, thank you to those who came to see me at Anime North! B' ) Nice to see people like sennari, nikkehmorith, presidentjoy, Mijung (i dont know your new blog haha) and others!!


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